Happenstance
by RJ Lewis the III
Summary: Some bonds are not made or meant to be broken. Upon Godric's disappearance, Bren is forced to understand that some lies were taught with good intentions. Eric/OC
1. Wake Up

**It wouldn't get out of my head and we'll leave it at that, shall we? Inspired by last week's episode and the complex character of Godric. Reviews, thoughts, comments, and criticism are more than welcome. Chapters from here on out will be much longer and cannon characters are most definitely going to make appearance. Do enjoy – RJL**

**

* * *

**

**I own nothing you recognize, plain and simple. **

* * *

**Happenstance  
**Chapter I

Children wake up,  
hold your mistake up,  
before they turn the summer into dust  
_Wake Up – Arcade Fire_

* * *

Something was wrong. The moment she had awoken the feeling had overtaken her. The air was disturbed and filled with too many new scents. Granted, the night before a number of vampires had crowded the halls along with their countless and unnamed human companions, but she was sure that the smells lingering in the air were new to her. Quietly, she pushed off the light sheets of her bed and stood lightly. The floor was cold as it was every evening, but it gave her no comfort.

She made for the door quickly and eased it open, the unknown scents attacking her. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Bren moved down the hallway to the last bedroom on the left and paused before knocking on the partially open door.

"Godric?" she called while leaning against the wall outside his door. When no response came, she gently pushed open the door. "Godric?"

The normally pristine and neat room, with it's matching dark oak furniture and tall, black tinted windows, was now in ruins. Clothes were pulled from the bureau and the closet, the sheets torn from the bed, all the drawers upended from the dresser. Even the mattress was slightly hanging off the bed's edge and the television that once hung on the wall was broken on the carpeted floor. A quick scan around the room told her that while their was no Godric residing in his room, there was also no blood that would prove injury. Unfortunately, that also meant that in the apparent struggle, Godric had not managed to wound any of his offenders. Still, there was hope that he had not been wounded in the attack as well.

Bren moved into the room slowly. The strange scents that had leaked into the hallway and her bedroom were strongest here, as was the comforting scent of her maker. The scents in his room were stronger than the ones anywhere else in the house, which put the attack between the time she had gone to bed at five that morning and the time she had awoken only moments before. It was only a short fourteen hour window, but it was enough for someone to successfully infiltrate their nest, take Godric, and leave before she awoke at nine. How they had managed to do so without waking her, she did not understand.

The bond between a maker and their child was one that was nigh unbreakable. The exchange of blood was a bond that connected two beings to the very core. What one felt, the other would feel as well. No matter how faint the emotion, it would be passed between them both with ease and without thought. For someone to come and take the one person that was mentally and emotionally tuned to her without her knowing, it seemed impossible. How could she have not felt Godric's distress? It made little sense.

Turning, Bren left the room swiftly and returned to her own. She went to her closet and took out a set of clothes, barely looking to see what she was going to wear before she pulled them on. After pulling her hair up into a messy bun, she left the room and quickly walked back into Godric's room.

She stood in the center of the room for a few moments before slowly circling the large room with closed eyes. Breathing deeply, she inhaled the mixture of foreign and painfully familiar scents. Picking up a stray shirt from the floor, Bren took a deep breath and opened her eyes. It held the most potent of the scents combined and would do well enough. Taking it, she once again left Godric's room and closed the door gently behind her.

Once back in her own room, she sat cross-legged on her bed and stared at the shirt she had seen Godric wear on multiple occasions. It was nothing flashy or overly dressy, but rather a simple dress shirt with buttons down the front. Black with teeny white stripes and a smart collar, it was what Godric preferred to wear when a professional appearance was called for. Only a few hours ago, it had been nothing but a shirt that he wore and now it was a key to locating him; the change was drastic.

Without looking away from the shirt spread out across her dark comforter, Bren reached for the cell phone lying on her bedside table. Flipping it open, she pressed the fourth number on speed dial and waited as the line dialed.

"Yes?" There was no welcome or silly pleasantries and for that Bren was thankful. She had wasted enough time as it was.

"Godric is missing," she said simply. She saw no point in wasting Isabel's time, or more importantly, wasting what little time Godric had. "I awoke this morning to find him missing and his room in disarray."

A soft stream of foreign words reached her ears. She heard Isabel take a short, unneeded breath. "When?" the woman asked.

Bren could hear the shifting of bed sheets and a man's low protests but ignored them. Nothing was relevant at the moment unless it was somehow related to Godric. Nothing was more important.

"I awoke no more than ten minutes ago and he was already gone," Bren answered. "There were at least eight of them, but with the number Godric had over last night, I cannot tell friend from foe by scent alone."

There was a pause from the other end. "Only eight? To take Godric?" It would be hard to miss the disbelief in Isabel's tone.

Bren let out a sigh. It made little sense to her as well. Eight weak human men could not overpower Godric, not even if he was a thousand years younger and blind. "I cannot know for sure, as I said. There are too many vampires and human companions moving through at a time to catalog each and every being who comes into our home," she said with frustration. "I know of eight scents for sure, beyond that I do not know."

"Eight men for sure, then," Isabel repeated. Bren heard a door open and close before the sounds of a busy street filled the background. "And you heard nothing?"

It was Bren's turn to pause before answering. "No," she said. "Nothing at all."

"We need to call a meeting, immediately," Isabel replied without hesitation. "I will call the others and arrange for one. How soon before you can be at Hotel Camille to meet with us?" she inquired.

The image of Godric's destroyed room flashed through Bren's mind. "An hour should be more than enough time," she answered. "There are a few things that require my attention."

"That is fine. I will alert the others and we will be awaiting your arrival," Isabel promised before quickly ending the call. She would no doubt be already calling Stan, among others, to report the Sheriff of Area Nine's disappearance. Within the hour, Nan Flanagan and the Magister would also be alerted along with any of the nearby Sheriffs. By the next sunrise, any and all vampires within a thousand mile radius of Dallas would know of Godric's disappearance. Bren was unsure whether the thought was a comfort or not.

Uncurling her legs, she took Godric's shirt and left her room, not bothering to close the door. Once she reached her maker's room, she waited outside the door. It felt so very wrong to invite herself into the room that for the past twenty years, he had called his own. Never had he denied her entrance when she asked for it, but neither had she barged in on his personal space without his permission. While they had spent close to the last fourteen hundred years together, they were in no way equal to one another. As her maker, Godric would forever be her better and she would treat him with the respect he both asked for and returned. To simply let herself into his room, a room that had already been violated by so many within the past few hours, she was unsure if she could defile him in such a way.

Hand on the doorknob, she stood for seemed like hours but were really only seconds. Abruptly, Bren turned and strode down the hall. Upon Godric's return she would assist him in cleaning his room, but until then she would stay out of his private space. While she still had nearly three quarters of an hour before she was meant to meet Isabel and the others, Bren exited the house. It felt strange and empty without Godric inside and she held no desire to stay there alone. No, Bren would make reservations with the hotel to reside there until his return.

She climbed into her sleek car and turned it on before throwing it into reverse. The short drive to the hotel was made in record time, despite the large amounts of night traffic. Bren left her keys with the human valet and made her way into the lobby. After checking in with the front desk, she took the elevator to the fourteenth floor. There was still plenty of time before she was to meet with Isabel and it had been a number of days since her last feed.

Using the small key card given to her by the receptionist, Bren let herself into the small suite that would serve as her new residence for however long it took. It resembled closely to what her room at home look like and it gave her a small comfort. She dropped the key onto the table beside the door and made for the phone. A little room service would do her well before what she knew to be a stressful next few hours.

She hung up the phone with a click upon finishing her order and settled into the large bed to wait. There was a tugging in her stomach that made her feel uneasy, but she pushed it away. She pushed away the fear for her maker's life, the uncertainty of finding him as unalive as he had been only a few hours ago, and the nagging voice at the back of her mind that couldn't help but remind her that Godric had warned her this would happen.

For weeks he had gone around the house speaking of human and vampire co-existence and telling of ways that the preposterous idea could be made a reality. He spoke of drastic life changes for not only vampires but humans alike that would one day make both species equal to one another. Bren was used to Godric's talk of equality, he had been talking of it for centuries before True Blood had been invented and the vampire nation had been made public. But in recent years, since their global out coming, his words and plans had changed.

He stopped including himself in the plans. Rather than refer to their race as his as well, it slowly became 'the vampires' or more often than not 'my people'. It was as if he had cut himself from the plans deliberately. As if he had no plans that would include him as well as the entire vampire race. Bren had thought nothing of it, not even after he had pulled her aside one night close to a month ago.

"The times of peace are quickly ending between our two races," he had said. The look of both seriousness and pain on his forever young features and frightened her, if only a little. "There is only a short amount of time before the humans decide to revolt against our existence and lives are lost to both sides. It is only a matter of time, Bren, before someone is taken as an example."

Soon after telling her this, a small smile had lit up his face and Godric had pulled her into a tight embrace. He had left her to entertain the guests in their home without another word and she had wrongly tossed away his warning. Now, she realized the mistake in doing so.

* * *

**Reviews are greatly appreciated.  
RJL**


	2. Sticks and Stones

**

* * *

Happenstance  
**Chapter II

Sun in the sky,  
I ain't stopping you from burning  
All we need is stars and moon  
Clock on the wall,  
I will keep your hands from turning  
Or this night will end too soon

_Sticks and Stones – The Pierces_

_

* * *

_

After having her fill of the human she ordered, Bren dismissed him. She rolled her neck and closed the door behind the glamored and numb human as he left, feeling refreshed. She could already feel the fresh blood flowing through her system, heightening her senses and clearing away the headache she had felt coming on. The small meal had done well for her body but did not help with the unease that continued to linger in her mind. Even while feeding she had been unable to move her thoughts away from Godric and his disappearance.

It also brought up a predicament that Bren hoped to avoid for a few more centuries. While she was the only Child of Godric's nesting with him currently, she was not the only Child living near Dallas. It would be cruel and unkind of her not to bring the situation to the attentions of those bound to Godric, however much she would like to leave them worried and concerned. No, she would have to travel to the others and explain if Stan and the others had nothing to offer her. Remembering a few of the others Godric had made, Bren was not looking forward to searching them out. Some of them were so uncivilized. And young. But she knew that Godric would want his Children to made aware of the situation and for him she would make the trip.

When it came time to meet Isabel and the others in the bar downstairs, she had mentally over every second of the past twenty-four hours searching for some sign or clue but had come up with nothing. Bren let herself out of her room after grabbing her key card from the table and headed for the elevator, thoughts streaming. By the time she reached the hotel's bar and saw Isabel waiting for her, Bren was quite positive that she had been over every emotion, movement, and memory of the night before until the moment she walked into Godric's room to find him missing.

She had yet to find anything out of place or out of the ordinary and that realization did not help in her unease at all. As far as she could tell, there was no warning to Godric's kidnapping and without some sort of pattern to follow, it would make finding him so much more difficult. It frustrated her to no end.

Upon sighting her, Isabel made her way swiftly towards Bren. A determined and firm look planted on her ageless face. She nodded in greeting before turning to fall in step with the older vampire. "I called Stan and he's on his way with a few others," she stated as they made their way across the fairly crowded bar. "I left a message with Nan, but I do not know when she'll be able to meet with us."

Bren nodded her head, barely paying attention to the woman's words. It was nothing that she did not already know or expect. "Good, that's very good," she said with slight distraction as she glanced around the room. "When was Stan going to meet with us?"

Isabel gave her a short look before stopping to gracefully drop herself into an over sized plush chair. Crossing her legs politely, she looked up at her with slight annoyance. "You know Stan, Bren," she said with pursed lips. "The man will show when he chooses and not a moment before."

As she followed suit and sat herself down in a chair of her own, Bren frowned. "It would be in his best interest to arrive sooner rather than later," Bren said. She met Isabel's eyes for a moment before she turned to scan the bar once more. "It will be his life forfeited if he chooses to waste my time."

"I made sure to make him aware of how dire the situation was," Isabel assured. "Though, I doubt he needed to be told. This is no small matter that we have on our hands here. For Godric to be taken without warning-" she paused for a moment and shook her head. "Our worst fears have been realized, it would seem."

At that moment, Bren caught sight of the absurdly large cowboy hat that belonged to no other than Stan himself. She stood as he neared them, at least four others following behind him. It was easy to spot the anger etched on Stan's face and it came as a welcome surprise to her. There were very few vampires in Dallas that did not know of Stan's wish for more power and pull in the area's politics. The one person standing in his way was Godric, and Bren was guilty in believing that Stan would use his disappearance as a power play. She made a note to say something to him about it later and apologize for her wrongful assumptions.

Stan came to a stop before them both and gave a curt nod in greeting as he removed his hat in respect. Replacing it atop his head, he gestured to the four behind him and proceeded to introduce them. "These are the best of men, right here," he announced proudly. He rattled off their names and Bren stored them away for later without much thought. He looked between the two women before him with expectancy. "Someone care to explain the details of what has happened tonight?"

Bren retook her seat on the chair and waved a hand to the seats surrounding them before answering. "Godric is missing," she stated as Stan and the others sat themselves down. "I do not know by whom or for what purpose, but I can only fathom for unpleasant reasons. Godric warned me that something of this nature would happen, though I am sure he did not have ideas as to who; let alone being taken himself. I am displeased to admit that I did not think to heed his warnings."

One of the men scoffed from his seat. "None of us could predict something like this would happen, it _is_ Godric we're talking about. The old guy is breaking two thousand years, easy as pie, and suddenly a bunch of little fleshbags come outta' nowhere and manage to take him without so much as a drop of blood spilled? And with you, his Child, just down the hall?" the vampire shook his head in disbelief. "These ain't just some guys off the street with a problem with vamps that we're dealing with here. There is some serious shit being tossed around."

Isabel nodded her head in agreement. "It is obvious that whoever took Godric knew enough about both him and his habits that taking him was quite easy," she said. Stan whipped his head to stare at her.

"You trying to say that whoever took Godric was someone that he knew?"

The thought of someone close to Godric being the one who took him did not sit well with Bren. There had been very few moments over the last sixteen hundred years when she and Godric had not been together. While most Makers leave behind their Children after they are able to fend and live on their own, Godric had not abandoned her in the same way. Whoever was close to him could easily be someone that Bren knew and trusted as well. Suddenly, she became aware that no one could be trusted, not even Stan or Isabel. Did she truly believe that either vampire had a part in Godric's disappearance? No, not particularly. But now it was apparent that anyone could be Judas amongst their ranks.

"I have no idea who took Godric or what they have planned for him," Isabel defended in a tired tone. "All that I know is that none of this makes any sense at all. Who would even want to kidnap him to begin with?"

Bren raised a hand before any of the others could reply. "I do not care about the why or the how, not now," she said with a small hint of annoyance and anger. "At the moment, my greatest concern if finding Godric and returning him safely and without harm. Do we agree that this should be our first and only priority until a more appropriate time?"

The others looked amongst themselves for a brief moment before they slowly nodded in agreement. Stan let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair with a shrug of his shoulders. "What's the game plan, then?"

Bren stood gracefully and looked down on them. "I have business to attend to across state lines and in my absence I trust that you will work on locating Godric," she said. Isabel slowly stood beside her and bowed her head. Bren glanced around the circle that had gathered and nodded to them. "I would appreciate being informed of any progress made while I'm away. Is this agreeable?"

"What business needs your attention at a time like this?" Stan inquired as he stood. He adjusted his hat and looked at her questioningly. "I would've thought that you would head the search for Godric, out of any of us here."

She quirked an eyebrow at him and sent him a mild look. "My business is my own and no concern of yours," Bren said. "My phone will remain turned on until I return. Hopefully I will be back within the next two nights. Until I return, Isabel will lead the search in my stead."

Isabel gave her a thoughtful look as she prepared to leave. "Meaning no disrespect, Bren," she said with a trace of concern. "But is this business ordeal worth your safety? Besides Godric, you are one of the oldest vampires on this side of the world. If there is someone out here wishing to weaken our ranks by killing elders, do you now think that it would be better for you to stay here where we would be able to protect you?"

A small laugh escaped her as Bren watched Isabel look to the others for support. "If Godric could be taken from our home in the manner that he was, none of us are safe." She shook her head with a small smile. "No, I must attend this business immediately. I am no safer here than I would be where I am going," she said. As she moved to leave, she gently touched Isabel on the shoulder. "I am grateful for your concern, but please do not waste your thoughts on my safety. Godric's return shall take enough of your time and effort as it is. I shall be fine," she assured.

"As you wish," Isabel said, giving her a small smile in return. "We will do everything we can to bring him back safely. You have our word."

Bren nodded in thanks. "That is all I ask," she said quietly.

With a last look to Stan and the others he had brought, she turned and quickly made her way out of the hotel's bar. She now wished she had thought more on her reservations at the hotel, as it now seemed she would not even be staying there for a number of nights. Brushing the thought aside, she requested her car be brought to her by the valet standing post just outside the lobby.

The night was still young regardless of how long it seemed she had been awake. A clock on the wall read eleven, which gave her more than enough time to reach the airport and book the next flight out of Dallas. In reality, there were only four of Godric's children currently residing in the United States, herself included. She knew of one living in the far north, somewhere in New England. The other, the one that she would pay a visit to first, lived in Shreveport, a town deep in Louisiana.

As she took her car from the valet and started in the direction of Dallas's airport, Bren pushed away her thoughts regarding the man she would soon be seeing. Their last encounter had been over three hundred years ago and they had left on less than good terms. While Godric was still in close contact with Eric, she was not. If it had not been for current happenings, she was sure that contact would not be made again for hundreds of more years.

A half hour later, she pulled into the multi-leveled parking garage of the airport and made her way through the concords to the ticketing area. She waited patiently in the somewhat long line for her turn at the desk.

"One coffin to Shreveport, Louisiana, if you please," she told the ticket woman when she finally reached the desk. She did not miss the apprehensive look on the woman's face at the words coffin, but she gave no thought about it. Some humans were more jumpy than others around her kind.

"You do know that the next flight leaves in forty-five minutes, don't you miss?" the woman asked in a voice that trembled ever so slightly.

Bren flashed her a short smile that she hoped relaxed the woman's nerves. "I didn't, but that flight will suit my needs just fine, thank you."

The woman nodded her head and went about getting Bren her ticket, which she practically shoved into her hands. With another smile, Bren left the desk and made her way through security easily seeing as she had neither any jewelry on or a carry-on bag. After finding her terminal, she sat herself down into an uncomfortable chair amongst the others waiting for their flight. In a short time, she would be in Shreveport and hopefully by the next night, Isabel would have news for her on Godric. Better yet, he might even be located by the time she returned to Dallas.

As she stood up with the others around her for their flight boarding, Bren knew very well the likelihood of Godric returning before she did. They were slim to none, if even at all. Bren was not stupid or naive, she fully understood the seriousness of the current situation. There was a high possibility that Godric would never be found and even if he was, there was no telling what his captors would or were currently doing to them. She knew, all too well, that she may never again set eyes on her Maker again.

And armed with that information, she had known from the moment she discovered his disappearance that this was a trip she would be forced to make.

–

Standing outside the club known as _Fangstasia_ she could not help but smile fondly. To see that he had become successful, years later, reminded her of better days. It was hard to forget the late nights when Eric would talk of the establishment he hoped to one day open, even before the concept of a 'club' was fully formed by the human public. The line outside wrapped around the side of the dark building but Bren ignored the waiting customers and quickly strode to the front of the line. The woman carding people at the front of the line rose an eyebrow at her and jutted out a hip.

"Is there something you need, darling?" she asked.

It was hard to miss the faint smell of Eric on the woman and Bren suppressed a sigh. He always had the oddest taste when it came to choosing Children. "I require an audience with Eric," she said smoothly.

The woman let out a laugh and stood up straightly. "And who might you be, to be asking for such a thing? I haven't seen you around here before and I _do_ remember everyone."

Bren gave her an impatient look. "I'm an old friend," she said simply. While it was nowhere near the truth, it was not as large a lie as anything else she could have said.

"An old friend," the woman said slowly, raking her eyes over Bren's form with criticizing eyes. "Well, 'old friend' of Eric's, if you would come with me, I shall see what I can do for you," she said, motioning for the large and burly man standing behind her to take over the line. She jerked a head towards the door before she walked through it and Bren was forced to follow behind her like a stray dog.

The inside of the club was nothing she hadn't seen before at multiple other vampire bars spread across the country. Women danced on tables, men leered at them, and humans mingled among the bloodsuckers as they always did. A bar was set against one wall and a man stood behind it, slinging out drinks to the answer the patron's cries. Bren followed behind the woman, who seemed to have no trouble forcing her way through the pulsing crowd and leaving a wake for Bren to walk through.

They stopped in front of a door that held a simple black plague with the words _Manager: E. Northman_ written across it in in gold paint. The woman paused to knock on the door before opening it without waiting for a response from within. Bren scowled at the disrespectful action but said nothing. Children these days, she thought.

"Eric, there's someone here to see you," the woman said loudly, leaning inside the door to see her Maker's response while giving Bren no view at all. "She says she's an 'old friend' of yours." She paused to look at Bren before back into the office.

"What is her name?" Even with the door and woman between them and despite the pounding music coming from behind, his words easily reached Bren. For the first time in near three hundred years, Eric's voice burst their way into her eardrums and processed through her uncharged brain. It brought an odd sense of comfort to her.

The woman looked back at her. "What is your name, girl?" she asked, none too politely. Bren held herself from reprimanding the youngling and instead answered with her name calmly. The woman barely had time to repeat the name back into the office before the door was thrown open and Eric's broad form filled the frame entirely. The woman was forced back a step in surprise and Bren's eyebrows popped up, the only sign of her own surprise. He still moved at an unsettling speed.

With no more than a single glance in the woman's direction, Eric barked a command to her in Swedish. The woman, whose name Bren caught was Pam, threw him a look before turning on her heel and strode away. Eric stood for a moment in the doorway before he moved aside and tilted his head towards the office.

"I was wondering when you were going to show," he said as she walked past him and he closed the door behind them. Bren shot him a glance as she slowly looked around the office.

"Odd; seeing as how I did not decide to come here until early this evening," Bren said as she turned to face him. He stood near the door and she by the desk covered in paperwork. What felt like miles was only feet between them. Eric shrugged slightly, hands shoved into the pockets of dark colored jeans.

"It has been over three hundred years, Bren," he said with a glance to the side before he met her gaze. "You would have come back eventually."

A spark of fury rose in her before she instantly stomped it down. Now was not the time for trivial arguments and petty things. She did not have time for his games. "I did not come back for you, I assure you," she said to him, voice slightly louder as she took a step towards him. "My visit has nothing to do with you, no matter if you wish it to or not." She paused and frowned. Did he really have no idea about their Maker's disappearance? Isabel had assured her than all Sheriffs in nearby Area's had been informed.

Eric blanched at her for the slightest of moments before he let out a bark of laugh and smiled at her. It was the smile she had seen a million times over close to seven hundred years. It had made less and less appearances near the end of their time together, but it was still the same smile planted on the face that would never change, no matter the years. He leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial tone to her. "If you are not here for me, then please do explain what you could possibly be doing at my club, in my Area and under my jurisdiction?"

She stared at him. He really had no idea at all. This realization threw her for a moment as Eric stood before her, an expectant look on his face. Telling Eric the details of the last few hours was much different than telling Isabel or Stan or anyone else.

For what seemed like the millionth time that night, Bren spoke words that tore at her heart. "Godric is missing," she said quietly.

Instantly, the smile left Eric's face as he stared at her with a look of pain, shock, and disbelief. It was in that moment that she understood her decision to seek him out after so many years. None of the others understood her pain. None of them had shared the bond that she and Eric held with Godric. To them, he was a friend and college, but to her and to Eric as well, he was a living and breathing part of them. Without him, there was a hole missing within them that ached with each beat of their damned hearts.

No matter the past between herself and Eric and the lack of kind feelings between them, he was the only other being on the planet that would even begin to understand her pain if Godric were to be lost forever. She had been told of the pain caused to a Child upon their Maker's death and no matter the anger she felt for Eric, it was a pain that not even he deserved to suffer through alone. And that was why she was there, standing in his office, awaiting his response with a small hope that he would not abandon her either.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone for the reviews and alerts, I appreciate the support.  
For those who put me on alert without a review, I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts.  
Thanks much, hoped you enjoyed.  
RJL**


	3. Rain City

**You guys totally made my night when I checked my inbox to find so many reviews and alerts. You rock, the lot of you. Sorry that the update comes so late (or early, depending on where you live) but school starts for me today (Wednesday) and I wanted to get another chapter out before I headed always, I love to hear from you all. Enjoy - RJL**

**

* * *

**

I own nothing, still.

* * *

**Happenstance  
Chapter III**

As I make my way through the century,  
As I slowly turn to house dust,  
Tumbling down,  
The rain comes down like a victory,  
In sheets of shining memory,  
Over and over, circling around,  
Oh, my love, I can't let go

_Rain City – Turin Brakes_

_

* * *

_

His movements were quick. One moment he was halfway across the room from her and the next he was standing so close that their noses would have touched if Bren were only a few inches taller. Instead, she was faced with his broad chest and black shirt. His presence so close to hers made her instinctively move to take a step backwards but found herself already pushed slightly into the desk. There was nowhere for her to move without forcibly pushing past the huge chunk of a vampire before her.

"The rumors are true then?" Eric asked. He looked down his nose at her, all emotion suddenly void from his face.

Bren returned his stare blankly. "There is no other reason I would be here," she said. He quirked an eyebrow at her words.

"So it would seem," he replied quietly. He let out a sigh and leaned away from her slightly but in now way removed himself from her personal space. "Godric is missing, then. This is unexpected news."

She looked at him, hoping that the confusion she felt did not show on her face. His tone was casual – as if they were discussing the whether rather than the disappearance of a two thousand year old vampire that was connected to them both. She did not bother to hold back a frown as she slowly nodded her head. "Yes, it is most unexpected," Bren said. She shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Are you not going to inquire about the details of his capture?" she asked, almost challengingly when he failed to speak.

Eric glanced at her before finally stepping away from her completely. "I received a phone call earlier this evening concerning Godric's current predicament," he said as he moved around the side of the desk to seat himself in his chair. "I am sure that I have all the details I need."

He shuffled a few of the papers around on his desk and looked up at her expectantly. "Is there something else you needed?" Eric questioned, pausing in his paper filing to stare at her.

It was unbelievable. The insolence of the man! Bren could only stare at him in shock as he continued to wait for her response. This was it? She flew all the way from Dallas to not only inform him of present situations but to also seek out his comfort and understanding when no one else could even begin to give her that. And now he meant to throw her out after giving her only a few moments of his time! She couldn't believe him.

"That's it?" she asked, gesturing to the papers on Eric's desk and to the vampire himself.

Eric gave her a puzzled look and set the papers in his hand down in a neat pile. "What's it?" he repeated.

She blinked before shaking her head with a small smile. Pointing at him, she laughed. "I know what you're trying to do here," she said, smile dying. "Do not make this about you, Eric. Don't you dare."

He frowned at her. "I don't follow you," he said while slowly standing with his hands resting on the desktop. "You said so yourself that you came on behalf of Godric to inform me of his disappearance. Why you felt the need to tell me yourself, I do not know." He shrugged. "But as far as I can tell, you have passed on what you needed to say and therefore we have little else to talk about." He tilted his head to the side a quarter of an inch and fixed her with a look. "Unless there is something else you wish to discuss?"

If it weren't for the fact that she had brought no clothes with her change into, Bren would have plunged the leg of his chair into his heart without a second thought. She could kill him for the words coming out of his mouth, she could. Taking a breath, she slowly released it before turning on her heel and walked towards the door. The air beside her shifted and Eric was instantly standing before her, blocking her way once more.

"Where are you going?" he asked, giving her a look as though she were slightly unwell in the head. "The sun will be rising within the hour. Do you have a safe place to stay throughout the day?"

Bren shook her head, both to the spoken and unspoken questions. "I will not stay here with you," she said firmly. She took a step to the left and frowned when he followed suit and kept the door blocked. "Move, Eric," she commanded.

He shook his head, chin-length blond hair shaking with the movement. "Godric would be most displeased with me if he returned to find his favorite Child was burned to a crisp in the early morning sunlight when I could have easily given her a bed to sleep in and a safe place to rest," he reasoned. For a moment, Bren was tempted to do just that and allow Eric to deal with Godric's wrath upon her demise. She quickly reasoned that Eric was not worth the trouble, or her life.

"Move," she said again, louder this time. He shook his head and did not move an inch. Her face fell flat as she pinned him with a glare. "If you do not remove yourself from my path of travel, young Eric Northman, I will remove you myself."

It would not be an easy feat, but Bren had over six hundred years on him which gave her the physical upper hand, despite the obviously size difference between them. "For one moment, put aside the contempt you feel for me and forget that you wouldn't be the least upset if someone put my entrails on a platter for you, and listen to my words, Bren," he said. All humor was gone from his tone and it was replaced with annoyance and even anger. "The sun will be coming up any moment now and both of us know you don't have anywhere else to be until this evening. Take my offer, get some sleep, and leave tonight when you have a clear mind. That is all I suggest."

It was no secret that she was tired and worn down. By the time she made her way out of _Fangtasia _and found herself a room at a motel, the sun would be almost risen and more of her strength would be depleted. At least this was free as well. Bren let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Until sundown and not a moment longer," she resolved.

He visibly relaxed and nodded. "Of course, not a moment longer."

* * *

**1034 AD

* * *

**

Bren sat and waited impatiently. It was not unlike Godric to stray while on a hunt, but he had given his word to return nearly an hour ago and she had yet to even catch his scent on the wind. She felt no worry for the boy, he could easily hold his own if the need arose, but she was quite bored and discontent with waiting for him to return.

She poked at the feeble fire smoldering in the fire pit they had created the night before at the entrance of the cave they currently lived in. It was one of the few caves in the area that went far enough into the rocky terrain to completely protect the from the sun's rays during the day. They had only been camped for one night and most of the previous night had been spent watching a raging battle take place just over the tree line from their cave. Godric had watched in fascination at the brutality the breather soldiers fought with while Bren had scouted the ranks for her next meal. Unfortunately, the battle had raged on into the early morning and they had been forced to retreat back into the cave before the fighting ended.

A branch snapped to her right and Bren flinched away from the noise as she caught Godric's scent. She knew the noise had been intentional to alert her of his presence, but she did not like the way it's sound carried through the forest around them.

"Did you catch anything?" Bren asked, moving over to give room for her Maker to sit beside her. The question was an unneeded one, as there was the obvious sight of blood staining his lips and chin. Still, she asked as she did every night.

The young boy nodded his head and smiled at her. "I did more than that, young one," he told her. He held his hands up the fire and leaned towards it. The glow cast on his face made him truly look like a Child of the Night and even as a fellow vampire, Bren still sometimes felt uneasy around her Maker. "I made a Child this night," he said. He looked at her with eager eyes and frowned at the look on Bren's face. "What is wrong? Did something happen while I was away?"

Bren shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "No, nothing happened. I am sorry," she said with another shake of her head to clear away the thoughts ebbing at her mind. "I just do not feel myself tonight is all. I believe I am in need of a feed soon," she said.

Godric looked satisfied with her answer and did not question her further. He spent the rest of the evening telling of the warrior he had turned and the great things they would do together. His excitement was so childish and pure that Bren could not bring herself to ask the question slowly climbing it's way into her mind. She knew that before Godric had turned her, there had been a Child residing with him that had left soon after her turning. While he had yet to turn anyone in the last six hundred years, Bren was suddenly unsure of her position. Was this new warrior meant to be her replacement?

She said nothing the rest of the night even while preparing herself for the morning. As she lay down beside Godric, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight my Child," Godric whispered to her, his voice instantly breaking any doubts she may have had. No matter how great a warrior this new Child would be, it would not break the bond she held with Godric. She would not allow for that to happen, not that night or in a thousand years. She would not allow herself to be abandoned once more.

* * *

**Present**

* * *

She stared at the wall tiredly. Her body was begging her for sleep and she could feel the small trail of blood leaking traitorous from her eyes as they too asked to be closed. But she could not bring herself to sleep. Not in a bed where Eric lay no more than a foot behind her, soft snores sounding from his side of the room. It had not been her idea originally to share the bed with him, but after realizing that there was only a single bed in the whole of _Fangtasia_ she had little choice. Eric had offered to sleep on the floor but she was too tired at the time to argue and had practically pushed him onto the bed before crashing down beside him. Three hours later, she was still wide awake and he was fast asleep.

It was not the bed that bothered her, or even that Eric was residing in it as well. It was the onslaught of images playing on the insides of her eyelids every time she closed them that prevented her from sleep. The memories from years past, stored and filed neatly away in her brains filing cabinets, seemed to spring out of their storage containers and bombard her at once.

She and her sister hanging laundry up the dry in the sun and meeting Godric for the first time shortly after. Waking up, buried in the ground the night after her death. Killing her first human and feeding for the time. All these memories of years for gone and seemingly forgotten played before her very eyes. She saw Eric for the first time and watched as he grew accustomed to his new vampiric powers just as she once had. She remembered the late night hunts with him and Godric and the chaos they left in their wakes. Everything Bren had worked so hard to store away for the past few hundred years come spilling out at once.

The wall was in no way entertaining and after staring at it for at least another hour, Bren gave up hopes of sleep and pushed herself quietly out of bed. Eric's snores remained steady and rhythmic as she snuck out of his room and closed the door behind her. She walked down the hall, bare feet padding softly on the deep red carpeting. She could feel her head and body protesting angirliy against the movements she was forcing herself to take. When she made it to into the main room of the club, she fell into the closet chair to her and allowed her head to fall onto the table.

A few moments later she heard the shuffling of feet followed closely by a yawn. "What are you doing, Bren?" Eric asked, voice still sleep ridden and groggy.

She had no energy to lift her head or respond. She heard his footsteps come near her and flinched as cold fingers grasped her chin and forced her to look up at him with blood lined eyes. Eric frowned at her and ignored her protests as he pushed back her chair and easily picked up her limp form.

"Shut up," he growled to her as he carried her back down the hall she had just forced herself to walk down and pushed open his bedroom door his his foot. He dropped her onto the bed only a foot or so above the mattress but her head pounded in anger of the movement. Kneeling down beside her, Eric held her glassy eyed gaze before shaking his head.

"Go to sleep, Bren," he said quietly as he stood back up to his full height. She tried to follow him with her eyes but deemed it too much energy. She felt the bed dip under Eric's weight as he rejoined her on the bed and let out an embarrassingly human squeak when she felt an arm snake around her waist as he pulled her to him tightly. "Nothing can harm you here, Bren," he promised. His voice came from just above her ear as he settled her into him and let his head rest above hers. "You are safe."

And even despite her earlier words when she had claimed that no place was safe now that Godric had been taken, Bren could not keep her eyes from dropping or stop the sense of peace overcoming her body at Eric's words. Within a few moments, she was fast asleep.

* * *

**Review, please and thank you.  
RJL**


	4. Human

**Goodness gracious, school is a major let down compared to summer. But it's nice to come home to a bunch of reviews and alerts, so thanks a bunch for those! Just to give you some perspective, right now I'm getting a review from about 1 in 48 readers, which I'm not complaining about at all. It's nice to get so many hits and all, but I'd really appreciate if you'd hit that little blue button at the bottom and give me your feedback at the end of a chapter. It makes my day and it also gives me ideas on what I need to change or where I plan on going with the story. So, it's in your best interests to review. I write a whole heck of a lot faster when you do. Anyway! New chapter for you - enjoy! - RJL**

**

* * *

**

**I own nothing. Alas, a grand surprise.**

**

* * *

**

**Happenstance  
**Chapter IV

It's only love, it's only pain  
It's only fear that runs through my veins  
It's all the things you can't explain  
That make us human

_Human – Civil Twilight _

_

* * *

_

**1034 BC**

**

* * *

**

How she hated to wait. It was all she seemed to be doing as of late. Wait for Godric to scout ahead and find a new nest for the nest few nights, wait for Godric to find their next meal, wait for Godric to this or that. Wait, wait, wait. The most current thing she was waiting for was for Godric to return with his new Child. He had left her in the cave once more with promises of returning long before sunrise but already Bren could see the darkness ebbing away to the West. If he planned to return as he had said, he would need to get a move on before he got both himself and the Child burned into oblivion.

While she wouldn't mind if the new one was killed, Godric was another matter completely. Without him, she would most certainly be lost. She depended on him all too entirely that if for some forbidden reason he was ever to be killed, Bren knew that she would soon follow after him.

The night continued to waste away as she waited patiently for Godric to return. He had instructed her to stay at the cave while he went to retrieve the Child but more than once she had considered going against his order to find food. It had been at least three nights since her last feed and already she could feel the oncoming sickness and nausea that came when she waited too long between meals. She had hoped that Godric and the other would return in time for her to leave and catch something before the sun rose, but it was becoming clear that she would have to go to sleep hungry once more.

Finally, just as Bren was considering leaving the cave to go search for them, she caught scent of Godric and another that she could only assume was the Child. Within a few moments they appeared from the trees a few hundred yards away from the cave's mouth and Bren was instantly surprised by the Child. As Godric was little older than seventeen or eighteen summers and she just above twenty, she had been expecting someone much like themselves. Instead Godric had brought back with him a fully grown man.

The Child was absolutely massive. He towered over Godric, who was granted small for his human age, but even before the Child had spoken a word, he terrified her. She may have been a six hundred year old vampire with superhuman speed and reflexives, but this vampire held the menacing air about him that she had yet to acquire. He was dressed in the clothes of a Viking warrior and she could smell the blood on his armor from where she stood. In the first few moments of seeing the Child, Bren instantly understood why Godric had chosen him.

He was born for this.

As the two neared the dwindling fire and came in as the sun slowly began to peak up behind them, Bren took the opportunity to observe the new one. He was only a few hours old but he already looked at least several hundred years older. He even already walked with inhuman grace; it was astounding.

"Bren!" Godric called to her happily as they came closer. "Come, Child. Meet our new brother."

Never once had she disobeyed a request or order from her Maker, and she would not start now simply because of an over sized Viking man. She moved to meet them halfway and found herself overwhelmed by the new Child's scent. Godric smelled of death and of life in harmony while this new scent smelled only of death alone. Once within a few feet of the man, she stopped and held her distance of him. He unsettled her greatly.

Godric did not seem to notice her discomfort around his new Child and spoke to him in a language that Bren did not fully understand. She assumed that it was the language of the land and deftly wondered when Godric had been given the time or resources to learn it. Neither of them were native to the land here. She pushed aside such thoughts when Godric continued to speak and gesture towards her to the Child. In turn, the Child looked at her for a few moments before nodding in understanding.

"How well is your Norse?" Godric asked suddenly, turning to Bren.

She frowned, knowing the language they had just spoke in was nothing like the Norse she had spoken on occasion. "I have not spoken it in years," Bren said doubtfully. "I guarantee nothing."

"Anything is something," Godric assured her.

He turned back to the Child for a few moments before he reached up to the clasp the man on the shoulder in a comrade like manner. He gave Bren a stern yet gentle glance before he turned and walked into the cave. Bren followed him with her eyes for a moment before she turned to follow him but was stopped when the Child stepped forward quickly and grabbed hold of her wrist swiftly. She stopped short and slowly looked down in confusion at the restraining hand on her wrist before she waved her free hand at it in annoyance.

"Please let go," Bren said in what she hoped came across as gracious yet demanding. She did not like the feel of his strong grip on her all too breakable bones.

The Child shook his head and gestured to the woods with a bounce of his head. "Hunt," he said. Bren looked behind him at the growing daylight and could feel her skin prickling already. She frowned while shaking her head at his request. Godric had already taken him hunting once that night, he would be fine for a few hours until the sun set again. She struggled to find the words to express this to him. She settled on the simple answer. "No."

He gave her a pleading look and so very childishly rubbed his stomach with his free hand. "Hungry," he said in a voice that was startling deep. He started to walk to the edge of the trees and pulled Bren along with him by the wrist as she dug her heels into the ground adamantly. She could easily overpower him but knew that Godric would be unappreciative of that.

"No,_ din dumma jätte_ , no hunt! It is time for rest!" she said loudly as she struggled weakly to pull back her wrist. Any sudden movements on her part or the use of too much strength would surely injure him, but he was making it quite difficult. "Stop!"

Her skin was prickling more intensely and she could feel the sun pushing its way into the sky. If she did not do something quickly and get them far enough into the cave, they would both be killed. She yelled for the Child to stop once more before she let out an annoyed yell and wretched back her arm from his hold. He looked back at her in surprise as she reversed their places and grabbed onto the Child's entire arm and hauled him back into the cave just as the her right arm started to visibly burn.

Godric stood from his bed skins as Bren pushed the Child in front of her and stared her in concern. "What took you, Child?" he questioned as he walked to her and gently inspected her slowly healing arm.

She pulled away her arm and held it to herself protectively. "Your Child wished to hunt and wasted precocious time arguing with me," she said with both anger and annoyance. "He is pretty to look at but I doubt his smarts, Godric."

A smile took over her Maker's youthful features as he laughed lightly and the Child gave her an annoyed look of his own even though he didn't understand her words at all. "Eric is smart enough for our way of live," Godric said, smiling still. "It will take him time to grow accustomed to our ways, however, just as it took you, Bren. Give him time; he is a quick learner."

"His presence is unsettling," Bren said, her tone becoming serious. "He already acts as though he's been one of us for centuries. I do not like it," she said stubbornly.

A frown slowly replaced Godric's smile. "I am disappointed in you," he said in a sad voice. "I was hoping you would be more accepting of Eric's condition. He is less than a day old, you must remember this. You have known him for even less than that. Do not be so quick to jump to judge him, young one. I can promise you that he will surprise you with his actions and loyalty if you give him the opportunity to do so."

His tone alone was able to humble her. She hung her head slightly and nodded her head. "I am sorry for my words, Godric," Bren said. She glanced to where the Child – she mentally stopped and reprimanded herself; his name was Eric – had sat himself comfortably on the cave's floor. "I will be more open to Eric and his actions from now on," she promised.

Godric nodded his approval and patted her gently on the shoulder before he turned to drop himself on to his bed skins. "I know you will do your best," he said. "I could not ask anything more of you than that."

With that said, he settled himself into his animal skins and closed his eyes. Bren knew from experience that once her maker was asleep, little could awaken him from slumber. With a quiet sigh, she walked to where Eric sat with his back against the cave's wall with his eyes partially shut. Even seated with his legs crossed at the knees, he took up a large amount of space. Knowing that Godric wanted peace between his Children, Bren knelt before Eric and put a cold hand on the man's knee. She jumped slightly as Eric jerked to face her in somewhat surprise.

Taking a deep breath, she sucked in what little pride she had and gave him a small smile. He looked at her slightly wary but had no quarrel with returning her hesitant stare with an open and unprotected one of his own. It unnerved her even more, but she did not look away.

Holding up her unburnt arm, she pointed to herself. "Bren," she said.

Eric stared at her for a moment more before shooting her an amused look and nodded his blond head. He mimicked her movement and pointed at himself. "Eric," he said.

She smiled slightly at their childish introductions. Pulling up both arms, she rested her head on her hands and rocked slightly back and forth. "Sleep," she told him as she pointed to the bed skins a few feet away from where they were 'talking'. Eric frowned for a moment but nodded his head.

"Sleep," he repeated.

Bren nodded and pushed herself up to walk to the bed skins and waved for him to follow. She heard his clothes shift and his footsteps on the cold floor as he did so. When she came to the bed skins situated besides Godric's, she dropped herself gracefully onto them and proceeded to find a comfortable position. It took her a few moments to realize Eric was still standing above her. She looked up to see him glancing around the cold cave and she shook her head at him even though he didn't see the movement. She reached out and grabbed his leg and yanked him down forcibly.

It was almost comical the way he tumbled onto the skins with the grace of a human baby. Bren couldn't help but laugh at his confusion but quickly moved to explain. She pointed at the bed skins again and to him before moving between the two a few times. "Sleep," she said.

He looked at her carefully and she suddenly wondered if he had ever slept in the same bed as a woman before Godric turned him. She looked at his well built form and took in the age he looked to be and hoped that he had. She shook her head and cleared away the thoughts of Eric's intimate human life and turned onto her side while shutting her eyes. It had been a painfully long night and she wanted nothing more to sleep until the next sunset.

She heard Eric settle into the skins beside her and found herself surprised that when their legs touched from lack of space, she did not move away.

* * *

**Present**

**

* * *

**Bren awoke with a start at the sound of crashing and was instantly on her feet. She heard a groan from the bed but ignored it. A stream of curses came sounding down the hall and it took her a few moments to realize that it was just a waitress from the club dropping a tray of drinks. She took a deep breath and forced her pulse to slow and return back to normal. She heard Eric grumble behind her as she looked around his bedroom in search of a time source. Finding one on the bedside table, Bren restrained an annoyed growl as she realized it was nearly one in the morning.

She had wasted almost five good hours of darkness while oversleeping. Shaking her head, she grabbed her cell phone off of the table and sat back down on the bed to pull on her shoes. The bed shifted as Eric came up behind her and yawned. Bren let out a deep breath and continued putting on her shoes before quickly standing.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here last night," she said while straightening her slept in clothes and gave Eric only a single glance before she started for the door. Her hand was in mid reach for the doorknob when suddenly Eric's body appeared in front of her, effectively blocking her escape for the second time in less than a day. She frowned at his shirtless upper body and wondered when he had taken off his shirt.

He smirked down at her as he watched her watching him. "Were you really going to leave without so much as a good-bye?" he asked her in a reprimanding tone that held a mocking tone as well.

Bren looked away from the naked chest she was faced with and sent him an annoyed glare. "If I planned to do just that, it would have been only because I learned to do so from you," she said. "You seem to have the 'departure sans good-bye' habit down rather well, don't you agree?"

Part of the smirk died away and was replaced with the shadow of a frown. "Are we ever going to discuss what happened?" he asked, quieter this time.

Her eyebrows jumped in surprise and she laughed while giving him a disbelieving look. "You would like to discuss what happened? Right now, at this exact moment?" she asked him, shaking her head with another laugh. "I have places to be and things to take care of, Eric. If you do remember, our Maker is missing and we have no clues as to where he may be, why he was taken to begin with, and what his captors plan to do with him. We don't even know if he is still alive!" It was the first time she had yelled at him since her arrival, which going by past encounters, was going for a new record. "So, no, I do not want to talk to you about something that happened over three hundred years ago, Eric. It is in the past and I would greatly appreciate it to stay there."

Eric stepped away from the door he was leaning against and rose to his full height, anger of his own apparent. "Do not assume that you care more deeply about Godric than I do, Bren, because I will sorely prove you wrong. I may have known him for a shorter period of time, but I will do anything and everything within my power to assist you and anyone else in finding him," he said shortly. He took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. "Regardless, there are issues between us that require resolving and I am only trying to do just that. I do not like having this space between us, Bren. And you know as well as I do that Godric do-"

Bren cut him off. "I will not allow you to use Godric as a playing card in our feud. He has nothing to do with it, and you know it," she said, more calmly than she had before. She waved a hand at him in annoyance and gestured for him to move. "Now, it is late and I need to return to Dallas by morning, so if you would please move aside."

He stared at her for a moment before slowly moving out of her way. As she walked past him, he darted out a hand and stopped her by the wrist. "This conversation is not over, Bren," he said without looking at her. "I will make you understand if I have to bind you to a chair with silver."

She looked at the hand restraining her wrist and smirked. "I would like to see you try, Northman." She did not worry about his hand as she pulled away her wrist and walked down the hall and back into the club. She needed to get back to Dallas before she did something irresponsibly stupid. For example: stake a fellow vampire through his heart.

* * *

**Review, please and thank you.  
RJL**


	5. Mistaken For Strangers

**Sorry it took a little while to get this chapter up. Between school, work, and marching rehearsals it gets a little difficult to find down time anymore. I loved all the reviews I got this last chapter, you guys totally made my day when I came home to find them. I'm happy you're all liking the story so far. I promise that everything gets explained in due time, so have no fear! :) Enjoy! - RJL**

**

* * *

I own nothing you recognize.  
Luisa was shown briefly in during season one, I just took her and ran off with her character to fit the story line.

* * *

**

_**Note – In the last chapter I forgot to mention that Bren spoke Welsh. Also, I realized while re-watching season one that Eric speaks Old Swedish and not Old Norse. My bad.

* * *

**_

**Happenstance**

Chapter V

Make up something to believe in your heart of hearts  
So you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves  
So you swear you just saw a feathery woman  
Carry a blindfolded man through the trees

_Mistaken For Strangers – The National

* * *

_

The short flight back to Dallas was uneventful and rather boring. It was still early enough and the flight was short enough that Bren bypassed a coffin and opted for a simple coach ticket. She gathered a few glances from the other late night fliers but most, such as herself, were frequent night fliers. By the time she landed in Dallas, she wanted nothing more than to check back into the hotel and fall into a peaceful days rest despite the large amount of sleep she had the day before. She knew that sleep would not come quickly to her though, there was still much to do before the sun rose.

After retrieving her car from the parking garage, she pulled onto the streets of Dallas. The traffic slowed her return a great deal and while waiting for a red light to change, Bren chose to phone Isabel and warn her of her return. The woman had regretfully informed her that no leads to Godric had arisen but promised to keep Bren well informed. Bren had quickly ended the call soon after and had continued on her way back to the hotel at a faster speed.

The trip to Eric's had been a waste of time, she realized this now. It had done nothing for either of them except bring up memories of the past better left forgotten. Maybe if she hadn't gone to visit him, she would have been able to find something regarding Godric and he might even be found by now. Bren knew that a single day and the lack of her presence would not make such a difference but it somewhat but her mind at ease.

A half hour later, she was stepping into one of the hotel's elevators and pushed the 14 button. She pulled out her swipe card to unlock her room and exited the elevator when the doors opened to her floor. Bren slowed her pace to a crawl as she came to her room and swiped the card to let herself in. She let out a sigh and dumped her cell phone and key on to the small table before making for the bedroom. She pushed open the door and stopped short in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked of the woman lying spread eagle on her bed. Luisa turned her head towards her with an impish smile and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"I came to help," the Italian said, stilling smiling. She patted the mattress beside her dramatically and Bren slowly walked over to sit beside her Child. Luisa was the one and only human that Bren had ever turned and it had been during her much younger years that she had done so. "I heard from George about what happened to Godric," Luisa informed her, answering one of Bren's questions without being winced at the use of the Magistrate's name thrown around so commonly. Luisa paused and looked at her maker in obvious concern. "How are you?"

"I am fine." Bren brushed off the concern. Luisa frowned at her.

"Don't lie to me. I may be your Child and a good amount younger than you, but I know you better than anyone besides Godric and Eric," she said in an angry tone. "Now, let me ask again. How are you holding up?"

Bren gave her a look before she looked away quickly. "I do not wish to talk about it, not right now."

A sigh sounded from Luisa but she didn't push Bren any further. "I started asking around the breathers for information, but no one seemed to know much," she said dully.

"Has the Magistrate heard anything at all?" she asked.

"Not really," Luisa said regretfully. "He got a phone call from Nan last night and he asked a few of his contacts about it, but no one seems to know much of anything at all." She frowned for a moment before her face lit up and she reached over and slapped Bren on the knee, an action that prompted a reprimanding glance from her maker. "But, I do have some good news!" she said excitedly. Luisa bounced a little on the bed in excitement and smiled widely. "I know someone who can help us."

Bren popped her eyebrows and waited for an explanation from her Child. "Oh, and who might this be?" she inquired.

"A week or two back there was a trial against a Bill Compton guy from down in Louisiana who staked some guy. No big deal right? Well, it turns out the guy who got staked was going to kill this Bill guy's pet human who apparently is some special broad for some reason or another," Luisa said hastily. It was moments like this that Bren wondered what came over her when she made the decision to make the overly cheery and quite exuberant woman immortal. "I didn't get what all the fuss was about, so I caught up with Eric after the tr-"

"Eric?" Bren cut in, confused. "Why was Eric there?"

Luisa shrugged casually. "Bill lives in Area 5," she explained. "Anyway, I caught up with Eric and asked about the girl that Bill was protecting and he said that the girl, Sookie, is some sort of supe. He didn't know all the details about her, but he _did _ say that this Sookie chick can _read minds_."

"She's a telepath?" Bren asked, surprised. It had been hundreds of years since she had encountered a human telepath. They weren't rare by any means, but they went to extreme lengths to avoid vampires. A smart move on their part. "That is indeed interesting. But it doesn't help us much unless the ones who took Godric are human. A telepath is useless against our kind," she mused.

An even brighter smile showed on Luisa's face. "There's more. George didn't want me to mention this, but there's a traitor among you. And he's _human_."

Bren looked at her sharply. "What?"

A traitor among them – and a human no less. Who would have thought.

Eager nodding came from Luisa. "George had a meeting with the Queen a few nights ago and he came back steaming. I guess there's been a stream of humans infiltrating our ranks posing as lovers and pets. They're working as spies of the Fellowship of the Sun, Bren." She looked smug knowing so much information before Bren did, it was almost comical. "George won't say it out loud, but I'm almost sure that he thinks that the Fellowship are the ones who took Godric. It makes total sense!"

It _did _make complete sense, Bren had to agree. It would be easy for the Fellowship to slip in among them as a willing human looking to become what the public referred to as 'fang bangers'. No vampire did background checks on their snacks, it would be too tedious of an effort. Anyone could be the traitor that Luisa had mentioned, anyone. The thought made her stomach drop perilously.

"Did the Magistrate say who exactly the traitor was?" Bren asked, focusing her thoughts back to the present.

Luisa shook her head, the smile fading into another frown. "Neither he nor the Queen know exactly which of the humans are honest meals and which ones are looking to betray us. All I know is that there is most definitely a rat within your group," she warned.

Bren nodded her head while taking in the information. "Where is this Sookie located?"

"Bill Compton was from Bon Temps, so I'd make a guess that Sookie lived there too," Luisa answered thoughtfully. "It's too late to catch a flight down there, but I can make some reservations tonight and we can head down there first thing tomorrow night, if you'd like," she offered.

"I'd would be most grateful if you would," Bren replied. She looked to the digital clock sitting on the bedside table. It read four in the morning. The sun would rising soon and she felt her body asking for sleep. "While you do that, I will shower and prepare for bed."

As she stood, Luisa pushed her self off the bed as well and walked to the closet. "I brought some clothes for you to wear," she said while opening the closet door. 'Some clothes' transferred into an entire closet full of clothing. "Don't worry," she said quickly as Bren opened her mouth to speak. "All this shit is new. None of it's from the house."

Bren smiled softly at the woman's respective consideration. "Thank you, Luisa. I appreciate all that you've done for me tonight."

"Don't worry about it," Luisa said with a wave of her hand. "I'm still making up for when you had to save my ass from those hunters in England."

The memory of indeed having to save Luisa from a makeshift band of farmers hellbent on killing the 'phantom' living in the woods behind their homes made Bren chuckle. She shook her head with a smile and disappeared into the bathroom to shower as Luisa dropped herself back onto the bed while picking up the room's phone to call the airport.

Turning on the hot water, Bren stripped down and walked under the flowing stream of water. She relaxed and set to washing her hair. She could hear Luisa arguing about flight rates on the phone and the dull noise of the television. She felt somewhat more at ease knowing that finally she had information that could lead her to Godric and his safe return. She stood beneath the steaming hot water for at least half an hour before she finally shut off the water and climbed out to wrap herself in a plush black towel.

She walked out into the bedroom and smiled slightly when she saw Luisa fast asleep on the bed, shoes still on. Bren flipped through the closet of clothes and found a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms and a matching tank top in one of the drawers. She pulled them on and padded over to the bed, turning off the television as she passed it. She crawled into bed beside Luisa and fell asleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow.

The next evening, Luisa woke her promptly at ten and reminded her that their flight was at eleven thirty. They each got dressed and headed down the bar for a drink before heading to the airport in Bren's car. Getting through security was simple once more seeing as neither woman took anything besides a carry on bag with a change of clothes and before long their plane was taking off and heading for Shreveport. Luisa had informed her that from there they would rent a car and make it to Bon Temps by two in the morning, giving them more than enough time to find Sookie and Bill before taking the six o'clock flight back to Dallas, hopefully with Sookie and Bill in tow.

If all went according to plan, by the same time tomorrow evening Sookie would have had enough time to discover the identity of the traitor and maybe even the location of Godric. If everything went according to plan, Godric would soon be returned to her and everything would be set right once more. Her nightmare would finally end if everything went according to plan.

As Bren and Luisa disembarked from the plane and headed for baggage claim, it soon became apparent that the plan was already going to hell. Bren stared at the tall, blond headed vampire waiting beside the exit doors, a blond woman vampire standing in heels beside him. Upon sighting them, Eric and Pam started towards them and Bren turned to Luisa sharply.

"_Did you inform him of our arrival?"_ Bren asked in hurried Italian.

Luisa shook her head in confusion and watched as the two vampires made their way to them through the crowd of people. "_No, I didn't even tell George we were coming here, I didn't have time __last night." _

Bren let out an aggravated noise and shook her head. _"We cannot waste our time with them, we need to find Sookie and leave."_

"It's considered rude in many cultures to speak in front of superiors in a language not they do not understand," Pam said once she and Eric were before them. She glanced between the two vampires for a moment before smiling tensely at them.

"If the Magistrate's records hold correctly, you are by no means our superior, Pam," Luisa said in an annoyed tone.

"But you are coming uninvited into our territory, which sets you at our mercy," Eric cut in smoothly while looking between her and Bren carefully. "I do not appreciate being informed of your arrival through the grapevine. I could have the kicked out of the Area for your disrespect for protocol and rules."

Luisa scoffed at Eric and laughed. "There are no rules against visiting a neighboring Area, Sheriff, and you do know it. We are breaking no rules by coming here," she said with a cross of her arms.

"You come here with intentions of kidnapping two of my Area's inhabitants. That is a crime in both our jurisdiction and the humans'," Eric said quietly but with obvious anger. "It is also justified reasoning for putting both of you on the next flight back to Dallas."

Bren frowned as Luisa looked at him in confusion. "We're here to help find your fucking Maker, Eric," Luisa said loudly. "If you'd like to let him rot away some place for the rest of all time, by all means throw us on the next plane out of this fucking shit hole and I guarantee that's what will happen to him."

Eric took only a step towards her but he did so with unsettling speed as his fangs flashed. Luisa took a step back as Pam laughed behind her Maker and Bren took the opportunity to intervene. She pushed Luisa back and slightly behind her as she set herself between Eric and her Child protectively. "We did not come here to start trouble, Eric," she said calmly. "Our only intentions were to seek out a person who we believe will be able to help in our search for Godric. That is all and nothing more."

A small smile darted on Eric's face without much true emotion behind it. "And we are here to ensure you do nothing more than that."

She frowned at him in confusion. "What?"

"You are looking for Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse, correct?" he asked her as he leaned away from her and clasped his hands behind his back. "I am familiar with both and will make your search for them much easier. Pam and myself are here to offer our help and services until you board your flight back to Dallas."

"That is entirely unnecessary," Bren said quickly as she understood what he was saying. "We will manage just fine without your assistance."

Pam smiled at her as Eric turned to walk out the doors that led to the parking lot. "Oh, but what fun is that?" she said with a laugh before turning to follow her Maker. Bren watched them go for a moment, internally debating their options before she resigned herself.

"Come," she said quietly to Luisa. She bent down to pick up her small duffel bag acting as her carry on and headed for the door. Her plan was officially ripped apart and ruined, and all she could was hope that Eric truly did know Sookie and Bill. Without them, she was beginning to fear that finding Godric may prove impossible.

* * *

**Review, please and thank you.  
RJL**


	6. Possibility

**Hello, long time no see. Apologies on the lack of updates as of late, but Life decided it needed some attention. However, I made myself sit down at my computer this evening after stuffing my stomach full of delicious turkey and pumpkin pie, and I decided it was time to finally write something. I honestly have no idea how the chapter worked out, I'm too afraid to really go through it and nit pick it, but hopefully it is up to everyone's standards. I wrote the last half or so while listening to Possibility on repeat, and I recommend listening to it while reading. Just adds to the effect, methinks. Also, I'm sorry to do this, but I noticed today that I have over 2K hits on this thing, along with 35 alerts and 7 favorites, so since I'm being incredibly out of character by updating a story this long after leaving it alone, I'm asking for at least 8 reviews on this thing before I'll update a new chapter. This shouldn't be that difficult, seeing as so many of you read this anyway. All you need to do is click that nice box at the bottom of the chapter, leave a few words, and wait for the next chapter. Hopefully, I won't be as long updating one as I was this time around. Still, no promises. Sorry to give you such a long note, but at least I've covered all the bases this way. Thanks a million times over to those of you who have been reviewing in the past, you really make my night when you. Happy Thanksgiving, all! Enjoy - RJL**

**

* * *

****Happenstance**  
Chapter VI

So tell me when you hear my heart stop,  
You're the only who knows  
Tell me when you hear my silence  
There's a possibility, I wouldn't know_  
Possibility – Lykke Li_

_

* * *

_

Awkward would be the proper term. A rather nice name for the feeling that hung over the group of vampires as they stood in a row on the front porch of one Miss Sookie Stackhouse's home. The noises drifting down from the bedroom were unmistakable; Bren doubted that even a human could have heard them with their little ears. It had been a good couple of minutes since the group had arrived on foot and since then, no one had moved to knock on the door. To anyone who drove by at that moment would have laughed at the sight of four lethal vampires silently fighting over who had to knock on a door. Amusing, even.

Or a waste of time.

There was only so much time left in the world before something was done to Godric. Bren knew this, yet she even with that fact in mind, she couldn't push herself to knock on the door. It stood before her, welcoming and inviting with it's fading white paint and torn black screen. All that was required of her was to reach out a single hand and knock on the door. Nothing difficult or even a great annoyance to her. She just simply could not lift her arm to ruin the happiness of the couple engaging in an act that could have only been made of love. She remembered what it felt like to be in love, to be connected on every level and plane as the one she loved. Who was she to ruin a couple's happiness?

It gnawed at her.

Ate away at her insides that had once been filled with pumping blood of its own making. The insides that had once been alive, much like the woman she could hear gasping for air. Air that Bren no longer needed. Godric's face flashed before her as she stood, arm unmoving but mind in mid thought. Was this not what Godric had always wanted? For the humans to remain in such a state of happiness while in the presence of his kind that they would truly be able to coexist. Not in a state that was forced on them by glamour, but a state that they chose for themselves, that they had a say in. This woman, Sookie, was in a place of passion paired with happiness and love. A place she seemed to have found with one of her own, a vampire. It was just as Godric had prayed for.

This single realization gave her hope.

"_Mio dio_," Luisa muttered, pulling Bren away from her thoughts. Her foot was tapping impatiently on the porch as they stood at a standstill. "Don't you think we should interrupt them or something? Isn't she a little fleshie?" Bren gave the younger vampire a questioning glance. She only shrugged in return. "Just saying, we don't want our only lead to kill herself in the act."

"I doubt that Mr. Compton is capable of killing Miss Stackhouse," Pam drawled slowly. She raised her eyebrows with a tight lipped smile. Eric scoffed and nodded his agreement silently. Bren ignored them both, along with the sounds that were slowly growing louder.

"I feel like we're listening to really bad porn," Luisa shrugged again without much care for the situation. "Makes no difference to me."

All four of them winced at the loud gasp that reached their ears. Bren frowned and moved for the door, knowing their appetite for passion had been fed for the time being. She rapped in quick succession on the porch door, knocking a few loose paint flakes to the floor. They flew off the porch in a few moments in the wind and were forgotten. Bren stepped away from the door as voices reached her, paired with footsteps. A giggle sounded from within and she felt her heart ache in jealously. She pushed away the feeling as the door opened.

There was another moment of awkward silence that fell over all of them. Sookie stood in the doorway with Bill standing slightly behind her, an almost sick look adorning his features. A careful smile came over Sookie's face slowly as she opened the door further.

"Well, this is quite the surprise," she said, Southern drawl easily identifiable. The woman's cheeks were flushed, either from embarrassment or otherwise, Bren could not tell. It mattered little.

"To what do we owe the privilege of your presence?" The tense tone of Bill's voice did not go dismissed. He wanted them gone just as much as Bren wanted to be back in Dallas. He stepped closer to Sookie and wrapped a protective arm around her waist. The girl only looked up at him briefly in confusion before looking at the vampires on her doorstep with curious eyes. Her excitement at seeing them surprised Bren. More surprising was Eric's response to Bill's query.

"It is time," he said in an almost lazy tone. Bren shot him a confused look by his answer. Time for what, exactly. The angry look on Bill's face showed his protest against Eric's words. Eric simply shook his head and laughed shortly, humorlessly. "You have no choice in the matter, as you already agreed to lend Miss Stackhouse's abilities along with our own little agreement to save the dealer." His tone was growing more serious as he continued on. "The consequences for abandoning these agreements will be most _unpleasant_, I assure you."

There was a beat of silence before Sookie pulled herself out of Bill's hold and whipped around to look at him incredulously. "You agreed to 'lend' me?" she asked, clearly offended. "Who are you to 'lend' me to out to people like some movie at the rental store? I'm not an object, Bill! I'm a human being! You can't just _lend_ me out to your friends whenever you dang well feel like it!"

Bill growled in annoyance, casting a glare to a now amused Eric. "I didn't lend you out, Sookie. He asked for your assistance and I agreed, seeing as you already made the large mistake of offering your abilities to save Lafayette," he defended loudly, trying to fight his way over her steadily growing voice.

"Still, I had the right to know about this before a group of bloodsuckers showed up at my house, wanting to kidnap me!" Sookie yelled in return.

This was a waste of time. Bren turned to Eric, noting his complete lack of attention to the situation. In fact, he looked to be asleep. His head rested against the wall of the house and his eyes were closed to the rest of the world. Letting out an aggravated, Bren stepped towards him, only to stop mid step as his eyes flew open and met hers. A shock pulsed through her cold body as blue met hers.

She tuned out the conversation as Luisa and Pam threw themselves into the fight, hoping to end the petty argument. His eyes were still connected to hers, though they held no emotion. Completely void of emotion, they frightened her – reminded her of days gone by. Days she tried hard to keep in the far corners of her memory. Days that seemed to haunt her, begging not to be forgotten, no matter how she tried to erase them. His cold, unending stare only helped their cries grow louder. His hair was shorter than it had been the day before, she noticed.

Why did he affect her this way? After such a long amount of time, his presence should cease to affect her. It was apparently not so, and it both annoyed and concerned her. She didn't have the time to confront the past when there was a dangerous present to deal with. Whatever she did or did not feel for one Eric Northman would wait until Godric was located and brought to safety. Anything and everything else could wait. And it would.

This thought brought her enough assurance that Bren looked away from his stoic eyes and focused at the fight before her. _Everything else could wait._

She took an unneeded breath and took a step towards the fighting couple. Pam and Luisa had both pushed their way into the fight, thought it seemed that both were trying to end the childish argument. It had to end, and quickly. Her old skin could feel the oncoming feel of the sunrise thought it was still hours away. If they were lucky and wasted no more time, they could leave for the airport and arrive in Dallas as the sun was rising, unable to harm them in the safety of their coffins. Once back at the hotel, the staff would care for them until the night fell the next evening.

Sookie and Bill continued to fight as Bren stood at the threshold of the house, unable to enter without the human girl's permission. It was moments such as this that she disliked how many of the old myths about her kind were true. She felt the air move behind her and was pushed gently aside as Eric moved past her into the house, surprising her. She was unaware that he and Miss Stackhouse were on such friendly terms.

She watched as he moved between the fighting couple and gave Bill an angry look. She almost felt bad for the man, she had been on the receiving end of an identical look on more than one occasion. It had the ability to instill the meaning of fear inside your very bones. It was a look she hoped never to see thrown at her again, for fear of her life ending. Silence came over the house almost instantly.

"We do not have the time to waste on your incessant immaturities and petty whining," Eric said slowly. The amount of calm in his voice was unsettling. "We have come for your help and resources as was agreed upon. If you choose to go against your word, I remind you of the consequences. Do we understand one another, Bill?"

The poor boy, Bren mused. He couldn't be older than two hundred. So young. But smart for heeding Eric's warning. It took him a few seconds to consider his options, but he resigned in nodding his head in agreement. He looked down at Sookie, who still had an upset air about her. "Do you agree as well, Sookie?" he questioned, knowing that his word meant little to Eric. He was not the one that they had truly come for.

"Of course I do," Sookie exclaimed, an annoyed look on her face. "Eric and I had an agreement. He spare Lafeyette's life, Bill. For goodness sake's. The least I can do is try and find whoever he's looking for."

Pam rolled her eyes and made for the door, Luisa following behind her – muttering in Italian the idiocies of human girls. With an acceptive nod, Eric quickly followed his Child out the door and grabbed hold of Bren's arm as he did so. She was forced to walk backwards before she pulled her arm away with little resistance. Eric glanced at her briefly before looking to Pam dully.

"I would like for you and Luisa, if it is to her liking, to stay behind to escort Compton and the girl to Dallas," he announced. His hands were clasped behind him and his stance was wide. It was down to business. "I assume that Compton will want to bring Jessica with him for emotional reasons and by the time Miss Stackhouse finishes packing, the sun will be rising. I would like to return to Dallas tonight, as I'm sure you would as well," he said, the last part aimed to Bren, who only nodded. "If you would both agree to stay behind and watch our little friends, we will be on our way to the airport within the hour."

There was no complaint from Pam, as it should have been. A Maker's request was a Child's duty to fulfill. Luisa looked annoyed by the assumption Eric had taken by ordering her, but she knew from the look on her Maker's face that she agreed with the man's request in her. She nodded her agreement silently and noted the look of thanks on Bren's face by her lack of protest. Eric took her submission in stride, literally. He spoke a few words of Swedish to Pam before he started across the front lawn.

Without hesitation, Luisa walked to where Bren still stood, watching Eric move away. She touched a hand to her Maker's arm gently. "Will you be alright with the bastard?" she questioned, gaining her a small smile in response. "Call if you need anything, Bren."

The older woman nodded and squeezed the Child's arm before starting after Eric. She caught up with him quickly and fell in step with him without realization. Their pace was quick and urgent, it wouldn't take them long to reach the airport. Then, it would be back to Dallas and hopefully a step closer to Godric.

Within a few minutes they were in the dark woods that filled much of Louisiana's uninhabited land. Their footsteps fell in sync, speeding across the ground with ease, until Bren suddenly felt herself running alone and slowed to a halt. She looked behind her in confusion to see that Eric had stopped far enough behind her that all she could see was his dark outline. She slowly made her way back to where he was standing, stock still and silent.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He didn't reply. She tried again. "Is everything alright, Eric?"

He glanced at her before he shook his head and started walking once more. She watched him go. "It's nothing," he said, pace quickening. "Hurry up, _Lys_, we don't have all evening."

_Lys_. Light. His name for her, centuries ago. She stopped following him. The memories were calling, she pushed them away. He affected her again. She hated him. Anger bubbled inside her, amongst the fear and the doubt. She truly hated him. His whole existence was an annoyance and liability of her own. She could feel him staring at her in question, unmoving from his position a few yards in front of her. She could feel him coming closer, stepping towards her in uncertainty, not knowing the thoughts coursing through her dead and cursed mind. How she hated him. Cocky bastard.

None of this would have happened if weren't for him, she was sure of it. If only he had stayed, then no one, no matter the number that came, would have been able to take Godric away from her. If he had only stayed, she wouldn't feel the pain of losing him. If he would have stayed, they would have been protected. She would have been protected. Godric would still be with them. They would still be together, a family. If only he had stayed. Hell, why did he leave. So much sadness and pain would have been saved if _only he had stayed_.

It was his turn to question what she was doing. He called to her, but she ignored him. Her mind wouldn't let her ignore his voice, however she tried. Pushed thoughts of him and times past out of her mind, forgetting him. It mattered not, her heart and mind would always remember him. _Dio_, she was so tired.

The ground caused her no pain as she fell to it on her knees, small lines of blood running down the length of her pale face. She did not sob or lose control. She simply sat, ground to her knees, letting the blood fall from her eyes. She felt him before her, also on his knees. She felt the cold, gentle finger on her chin that forced her eyes from the ground to meet his. She felt so weak, staring into his eyes. Why couldn't she hold herself together.

"What's wrong?" his voice was so quiet and gentle, it stemmed more tears. She hated him. Hated his hold over her. Hated the man she knew he used to be. Hated how he left her. She faintly attempted to pull her chin away, but he held it tightly. "_Lys_, tell me. What is wrong?"

She felt her mouth moving, babel and gibberish falling from it. _"I don't understand,"_ she muttered, words falling over a language she hadn't spoken in centuries. _"I don't understand." _

He looked at her in confusion, he too not understanding. _"What don't you understand? What is wrong?" _His thumb brushed away blood from her cheeks as he moved a hand behind to rub her neck in a comforting manner. It only made her cry harder. Their knees were touching and he brought their foreheads together, concern etched in his cold features. _"Speak to me, please."_

_ "Laughter. There used to be laughter," _she whispered, so softly that even he almost missed her words. _"Do you remember the laughter?"_

His forehead rubbed against hers as he nodded. _"I remember."_

_ "So much laughter," _she whispered. _"I miss the laughter."_

He sighed and closed his eyes. _"So do I."_

They were quiet, tears slowing and breathing nonexistent. Eyes closed. _"Why did you leave us?" _she asked, finally. She said it softly, hoping that maybe he wouldn't hear her and then maybe she would not have to know. He was quiet. Maybe he hadn't heard her.

_"You needed me to leave," _he said, quietly. His voice was different, pained. _"We were not good for one another, love. We were breaking one another. I had to leave, to save us."_

The tears returned. He left to save them. To save her. To save himself. But never to save Godric.

She pulled away from him, making his hand drop from its place on her neck, and away from the comfort he offered. He watched her questioningly as she stood and rubbed at her eyes, trying to remove the tears of blood from her face. She straightened her clothes and let out a shaky, unneeded breath. She always did that. Still acted human despite being anything but for over a thousand years.

"We should go," she said, breaking the silence hanging over them. She did not wait to see if he followed.

* * *

_Know that when you leave  
By blood and by mean  
You walk like a thieve  
By blood and by mean  
I fall when you leave_

_

* * *

_

**Reviews are like heroin, feed the addiction.****  
8 reviews for an update, remember.  
Thanks, RJL**


	7. More Than Life

**Yeah. Screw that whole "I only update when you give me x amount of reviews" thing. I'm a sucker and I love to write, so I'm really causing myself more pain than I am you, seeing you don't have a clue what I'm going to write next. ****There's a link to the story's soundtrack on my profile if any of you are like me and require a soundtrack to life. **** This was by far my most favorite chapter to write (thus far), so I hope you all enjoy it. - RJL**

**

* * *

Happenstance**  
Chapter VII

Belief in the breeze,  
The smoky morning haze.  
The sun on her face,  
and the touch of lovers' hands.  
The pain that comes today,  
Is here, then goes away_  
More Than Life - Whitley_

_

* * *

_

**Present Day**

**

* * *

**

Nine days passed before the others arrived in Dallas. By then, Eric had all but taken control of the search for Godric and Bren did little to complain. She spent her nights locked in her room, form curled in the bed sheets, unmoving. A hole was slowly opening in her chest at the prolonged distance from her Maker. She could feel her energy leaving her as the seconds passed, disappearing into the space between her and a missing man. The days since his disappearance had turned into more than a week. More than a week without word, without a break through, a week in which hope was dwindling.

She feel the frustration rolling off of Eric whenever she was called for a meeting, normally early every evening before the search would continue. She understood his want to rip apart the vampires that stood before him, once again reporting they knew nothing. No one knew anything. Not even the Magistrate had heard any news, Luisa had been informed of as much. To the outside world, Godric was already dead and buried.

She could not let him die.

Images of his lifeless body had haunted her dreams each night. Dead, arms spread wide, as he lie on the ground, life gone from his eyes. Burning the sunlight. Words of Swedish called to her, calming her as he bled tears. Hanging from a cross, crucified. Blood, gurgling from his mouth as he called her name. She could not escape the dreams, could not run from her fears. They followed her everywhere.

She could not let him die.

Doors shut from down the hall of her room, voices carrying towards her ears heavily. The sun was down, she felt the cold air falling over the city through the walls. She needed to leave the room, escape the roof for fresh air. Bren deftly laughed to herself. Fresh air in the city. No such thing. What she would give to be back in Europe. Slipping out of bed, her bare feet hit soft carpeting. She turned to somewhat make the bed and stopped in surprise, not even bothering to shied the expression from covering her face completely.

Words fumbled out of her mouth clumsily as she processed the man sitting in her chair. She was suddenly very aware of the sight she was sure to hold to him – she had been too tired to look through her clothing options after her shower the night before. Without much care for what she slept in, she had ended up in only a pair of remarkably short shorts – most likely a pair of Luisa's by the scent – and a sports bar. Eric had seen her in much, much less, but the knowledge did nothing to quell her embarrassment.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, finally finding her voice. She was proud at how strong the words sounded, despite her inner butterflies. Now was not the time.

He simply stared at her, eyes dull and face bored. She swallowed. "You were screaming last night," he answered shortly. "You were going to wake the whole hotel."

The Swedish in her dreams made more sense then. She nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you," she said simply. "I'm sure that the other tenants appreciate it as well."

He said nothing for a few moments, only looked at her as if he could understand her by a single glance. It unnerved her. He looked away for a moment before he stood and was suddenly standing before her, less than a foot separating them. Bren took a step back in surprise. He leaned closer still. "What do you dream about?"

His tone was both curious and frustrated, as though nothing about her made any sense at all. Frustrated that he had once known her so well that unspoken questions were answered without hesitation and secrets were never withheld. Now, there was only emptiness between them. Nothing like what once filled the space, now a void.

"I dream of death," she replied. There was no sense in lying to him and she hoped that somehow speaking of her dreams would help keep them at bay. She would have no issues with having a night's worth of rest in peace. "Not mine, but Godric's. Never is it the same, the way it happens. Some times he is burned, others staked, even hung until his neck breaks away from his body. It's all I dream of now. His death."

The answer seemed to shock him. He stood before her, eyes open – truly open, for the first time since they had wandered back into each others lives. What she saw mirrored her own. Fear shone brightly. Her dreams frightened him nearly as much as they did herself. And she knew why. They were so close to coming true. So close to losing Godric.

"It will not happen."

His strong voice pulled her away from her thoughts, startling her. She frowned at him.

"You cannot be certain of these things, Eric. Not even you can prevent Death from claiming who it has chosen," she said. Reaching out a slightly shaking hand, she rested it on his arm, earning her a surprised look. "We must prepare ourselves for the possibility that Godric may not be able to be retrieved safely. We have to keep ourselves open to the fact that he could die. He could be dead right now, we have no way of knowing."

The words burned her throat as she said them. They were a lie, both of them knew it. There was no possible way that she, a Child of nearly two thousand years, could not feel when her Maker ceased to exist. She hated herself for saying them, but she knew that both of them needed to hear them. They needed to come to terms with the present and all it held for them. They could not live in ignorance, it would only cause them more pain in the end.

His glare was burning. "You do not believe that, do you? You of all people know what I am capable of doing. What I would do to save the life of someone that I love," the words came at her, slapping her across the face as she stared helplessly. Her hand fell from his arm without notice by either. "I will not leave him to die, _Lys_. Not at the hands of feeble humans that we could have easily destroyed. I will not let him die."

How she hated to be the voice of reason. She was starting to lose track of who she was convincing – herself or him. Eric took advantage of her internal debate and darted out a hand, holding onto the back of her head tightly. He brought her face closer to his own and she found her eyes had no where to look but into his. The intensity she found there made her want to look away. He felt exactly as she felt, but at least she had an understanding that the outcome was not in their favor. Eric was delusional with loyalty and love towards their Maker. She was suddenly very frightened of what would become of him if Godric did indeed die.

"Godric will not die, do you understand me? He will not die."

The red that lined his eyes did not go unseen. Her understanding went unspoken. She nodded slowly, forehead almost bumping against his, they were so close. A slow sigh escaped him at the motion and he surprised her once more when he moved to wrap his arms around her tightly. There was nothing behind the action besides a search for comfort and understanding, something that rolled off her in waves. All thoughts of contempt and hatred for him disappeared at the feel of his stone arms tightening around her small form. She felt her arms move of their own accord, going to circle his waist without pause.

They needed this.

* * *

**1264 AD**

**

* * *

**

The cell was cold with water tripping from cracks in the ceiling. Silver bound her wrists together, burning the cold flesh beneath the simple lines of metal. Heavier chains kept her solid to the ground, burning her every time she moved even an inch. Her brain was muddled and cloudy. It had been days since her last feed. Her strength was waning. She felt herself dying.

She hated herself for allowing herself to be put in such a situation. They had been more than aware of the posing threat of Hunters in their area, and still she thought herself strong enough to go alone on a hunt of her own. _Stupid, insolent girl,_ she berated herself for the millionth time since her capture. She deserved to be captured, if only to punish her for her lack of common sense.

At the sound of footsteps, she pushed herself against the back wall, ignoring the sounds of burning flesh and the pain as she did so. She cringed at the whistle that reached her ears. So cheerful. Always so damn cheerful as he tortured her, mocked her weakness, cut himself and taunted her with his blood. The moment she was free, he would die. A slow, painful death that was reserved for only slime such as himself. A death he so rightfully deserved. She would enjoy it like no other death she had caused.

His toothless smile made her cringe as he came into view, keys to her cell dangling in his hand. "Good morrow, demon whore," he said, still smiling as he opened the door to her cell. She flinched away as he strode in. "How are you feeling, this fine evening?"

The response she gave was neither in a language he understood nor one fit of a lady, no matter if she was a 'demon whore' or otherwise. He frowned and tapped his chin. "No need to be rude, whore," he said seriously. He reached forward a hand to shift the silver on her wrists and she pushed herself off the wall, biting at his hand. He paid little attention to her as he slapped her across the face, knocking her head into the wall behind her. Her head spun. She felt blood run down her face as her eyes watered, not from sorrow but out of pain and anger.

"If there was not silver withholding me, _good sir_," she spat, as fiercely as she could in her condition, "Your entrails would be used as wall decoration and your blood used to paint the halls."

The man only chuckled and tightened the sliver at her wrists, earning a weak gasp of pain. "I very much doubt that, girl."

"And that will be what earns you your demise," she whispered as he left the cell, locking it once again behind him. She leaned her head against the wall, holding her breath from breathing the silver filled air. Every night the man would light the furnace and burn flakes of sliver, coating the air with enough to keep her choking through the night.

A loud crash sounded above her and she instantly pulled her legs closer, trying to make herself seem as small as possible. She heard yells for a few moments before everything went silent. The silver burned as she curled herself tighter even still. She heard the door open but heard no feet crashing down the stairs as normal. It mattered not what was happening to the dastardly man, she was content with blocking out the rest of the world as she attempted to find sleep.

"Bren, open your eyes, Child."

She ignored the soft, commanding voice, imagining it as part of her silver induced sickness. Over the time spent in the dungeon, the man had her believing on more than once occasion that he had killed both her companions. He had given her visions that proved what he said, showing her the burning body of none besides Eric along with the crumpled form of her Maker. She would not fall for his tricks once more.

"You are not real," she mumbled. She refused to open her eyes. She would not face another horrible nightmare. "Leave me to fade in peace."

A cold hand touched her face, shocking her into fluttering her eyes open. Godric was bent over her, kneeling in concern. His cold hand fanned over her face gently and she could not stop herself from leaning her face into his soft palm, closing her eyes once more. He smiled at her tenderly with the love of a Maker. "I'm afraid that I cannot leave you here to fade, dear one. I would have a rather upset vampire on my hands if I returned upstairs without you."

Eric.

Her eyes shot open once again, less cloudy this time. "He is here with you?" she questioned, voice stronger. He nodded in response and stood, flashing away before returning in a blink with a rod the length of his arm in hand.

"He is upstairs, no doubt killing all that cross his path." She frowned, rubbing her raw wrists once he had used the rod to remove the silver safely. He caught sight of her face and laughed lightly, moving to remove the silver from her ankles. "We did not make the most discreet of arrivals, I'm afraid. Eric is ensuring that we will have no trouble leaving this horrid place."

She smiled at his words, grasping his hand when he offered it. He caught her when she stumbled, unsteady on her feet. "Careful, Child," he warned. He draped her arm around his shoulder and easily flipped her up so that he was carrying her in the style that a groom would carry his bride. Bren was too tired to be embarrassed. "It is time to see the damage our warrior has created," Godric mused, feet flying up the stairs with ease. He set her down once again once they arrived in the main room.

He stood amidst the blood and bodies, back to them. It took all her strength and energy to run to him and she stumbled just as she reached him, only to be caught in his arms the instant her feet fumbled. She had little time to say a word before she was crushed to his chest, his arms holding her tightly against him. Her arms went instantly around his waist, pushing herself closer to him. His hands held her tightly, one caught in her long, tangled hair while the other wrapped around her small waist easily. His head hung limply beside hers, forehead on her shoulder.

"_You are a stupid, stupid girl,_" he whispered, breath chilling her pleasantly as it hit her shoulder. She only nodded in response, not trusting herself to speak. Who never what gibberish and idiocies would spill from her. He released her finally, only to pressed a searing kiss to her lips, a gesture she quickly returned. He pulled away first, leaving her with closed eyes as he swept her hair from her face gently. _"I will kill you if you even fathom a stunt such as this again, do you understand? I'll tie you to a chair with silver if that is what it takes to keep you out of harm's way." _

Bren nodded her head in response, eyes still closed. She leaned her head against his chest, letting out a sigh of content as he returned his arms to encase her. In his arms she felt safe, a feeling that only Godric had previously been able to grant her. Remembering her Maker, she pulled away from Eric's arms, looking around in concern when she did not see Godric. Seeming to read her mind, Eric answered her unasked question.

"He wished for me to tell you that he will be having a serious discussion with you about the crucial need for safety when Hunters are at large, but that he will wait to berate you until after you have fed and slept. He'll meet us at home when you are fully fed and energized."

A wide smile came over her face slowly. "Hunt?" she questioned, a note of excitement leaking into her tone.

Eric nodded his head, a smirk of his own adorning his features. "Hunt."

* * *

**Present**

**

* * *

**

A knock at the door was what finally pulled them apart. They had hardly the time to step apart before the door was thrown open and Luisa was letting herself into the room. She stopped short, mouth open and ready to announce her arrival when she instantly clamped it shut to stare at them. Her eyes raked over her Maker's lack of appropriate clothing to the burning look that Eric was shooting at her, obviously discontent with her sudden arrival.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Luisa asked awkwardly, motioning to the space between the two with a single lazy finger. "Because I can come back later, really."

She moved to go back out the still open door but was stopped when Bren rushed forward with a yell, grabbing her Child by the wrist. "No! You are interrupting nothing, stay. Please," she added when Luisa gave her a skeptical look. She felt Eric move behind her as he skirted around her and out the open door with a curt nod in her direction, all traces of red gone from his eyes. Bren let out a sigh and released the woman's wrist.

Luisa let out a low whistle followed by a bark of laughter as she looked between Bren and the still open door that Northman had practically just sprinted out of. "You sure I didn't barge in on some kinky foreplay?"

"Yes, I am sure," Bren said wearily. She rubbed at her tired eyes and walked to the closet. If Luisa had returned then Sookie and Bill had finally arrived. Maybe now they would be able to make some sort of progress regarding Godric. She glanced to Luisa questioningly as she made herself at home on the couch, pulling out a Tru Blood from the mini fridge beside it. "What kept you from returning to Dallas?"

An aggravated sound came from deep in the Italian's throat. She took a deep drink from her bottle before answering tightly. "Compton had issues to attend to with his Child and Sookie decided that she couldn't leave her work right away, something about dumping all that work on her boss, so she had to work until the night before last. By then, all the tickets for last night were sold out, so we had to catch an early flight tonight," she explained.

Bren nodded her understanding as she changed her clothes. "Is Miss Stackhouse up to doing any readings tonight?"

Luisa shrugged in return. "From what I got from Pam, if she isn't then she''l have hell to pay from Eric. He's getting antsy with all the waiting," she said.

Thoughts of earlier passed through her mind. She nodded again. "I'm aware."

Before either woman could say much more, there was a knock on the still open door. Isabel didn't wait for an invitation into the room and simply walked in, a concerned look on her face. "Eric wanted me to inform you that the girl is ready to do her readings," she said. Luisa raised her eyebrows and sighed, standing up to stretch as she downed the rest of her drink.

"Let's get this shit a'movin'," she yawned, throwing Bren a smile before following Isabel out of the room, Bren following behind. She shut off the lights as she passed them and closed the door quietly behind them. It was time for answers.

* * *

**Reviews are wonderful, but I have the sinking suspicion that this thing might end up writing itself to the end.  
Still, reviews make me a happy kid and a happy author.**  
**Radio silence - RJL**


	8. Someone Says

**Thanks to all the reviews and alerts. I found it funny when the number of alerts outnumbered the reviews, but oh well. At least you're reading and enjoying, from what I can tell. Another really fun chapter to write, hopefully it stands next to everything else alright. Enjoy - RJL

* * *

**

**Happenstance**  
Chapter VIII

Neighbor, you've fallen in with the wrong crowd  
I've got so much to tell you in so little time  
Oh neighbor, keep things close to your heart  
If no-one can help you, then how can I

_Someone Says – The Editors

* * *

_

Isabel led the way down the hallway and stopped before the elevator, limbs visibly jumping as she waited impatiently. No one said much of anything on the ride down to the seventh floor and they silently exited the lift when the doors slid open. They stopped in front of a room that Bren didn't bother noticing the number of and Isabel knocked lightly on the door, only having to rap once before it was opened. Stan moved out of the way for them to pass, giving Bren a slight nod of respect as she glided past. She ignored him and followed the voices into the main room.

She was surprised by the number of humans that had been deemed necessary to scan. Over thirty of them walked through the room, talking amongst themselves as they waited apprehensively. She could sense the nervousness flowing off them. Frowning, she wondering if they were even aware of what was going on. The plan, as much as she understood from what Eric had originally told her, was for Sookie to simply walk amongst the humans and hope to catch a thought that would lead them to Godric. It had seemed like a terrible idea to Bren, there was too much risk that Sookie wouldn't be able to find the traitor, but Eric had been stubborn. She didn't see the point of fighting a losing battle and had said nothing more on the subject.

Now, as she stared at all the humans, all with rushing thoughts and terrified expressions on their faces, she knew she had been right. There was no possible way that Sookie, no matter how experienced or how talented she was, would be able to sift through so many thoughts to find a single one about Godric. She felt her heart falling once more.

"There's so many of them," Luisa muttered softly, looking around the room in awe. She looked to her Maker questioningly. "How did Godric come in enough contact with all these people that Eric thinks you need to screen them?"

Bren glanced around the the breathers, able to name nearly every one of them. She looked briefly to Luisa before starting across the room. The other vampire followed without question. "Godric did not believe in keeping a closed nest. Those who needed refuge, vampire or a human that had been negatively impacted by one of our own, knew they had safety within the house. Those who came and wished to remain untouched, remained as such. Others came in hopes of being more to one of us or even one day being changed. There were always humans wandering around the house at night. I don't know where they went during the day."

She had often wondered what happened to the humans during the day after Godric pushed them from the house and promised them refuge once night fell once more. Did they have families? Jobs? Lives? She never knew. She often wondered, but never enough to go and find the answers.

"So, Godric was running a half-way house for the mouth breathers?" Luisa looked confused as she frowned. "Why? They're just humans. One dies, three takes its place. They're like weeds, popping up everywhere. They live, they breathe, they get old, they die. Sometimes they aren't even old when they die. They kill themselves, they kill one another. They hate themselves. They hate the world they live in, but they do nothing to change it. They're ruining a planet and killing each other in petty fights over religion and ways of life. They hold no respect for themselves." Her voice had grown from a soft whisper to a loud yell. There was silence over the room as both vampire and human watched her anger grow. Bren did nothing but stare at her, a sad look upon her face. She felt herself understanding. "Why should we want to save _them_?" Luisa spat out, pointing at a group of nearby humans who were looking at her in terror. "What right to they have to anything on this godforsaken planet?"

There was silence as her words echoed through the room. Sookie looked to be on the brink of tears, as were a number of other humans around her. From her own emotions or the onslaught of thoughts around her, it was unapparent. Bren felt a small smile sneak onto her face as she stared at the dark burgundy carpet beneath her feet. This was what Godric had been fighting for. She understood.

"They have the right to live as they choose," Bren said, finally. She looked her Child in the eye, noting her anger and the trace of pain in her features. She took a step forward and placed a cold hand on the woman's cheek in comfort. She smiled sadly. "This is their right, Luisa. To make mistakes, to have blunders, to create chaos if they choose. This is their world, not ours," she said softly. She knew that if Godric had been there, he would have been proud of her final understanding. "Ask yourself, Child. What right do we have to a world that isn't even ours? _We don't belong here anymore._"

A gaze of heat it her face as Luisa pulled away angrily. _"If not here, then where?" _

Bren had no answer and gave none without emotion. Her Child looked at her, anger obvious in her sharp features. She took a step closer to Bren, nonthreatening but hostile all the same. "You sound like Godric, _sorella_. Don't try and convince yourself that all this shit is justified. You _know_ what they're doing. They're killing us. Are we just supposed to stand around and let them come and kill us in our sleep? They'll do it, and you know they will without remorse and without care. They've done it before and they won't wait around to do it again."

"There is no amount of us that they can kill to make up for the millions we have killed over the centuries," Bren reminded.

She could feel the stares of those around her on burning holes into her face and back. She knew that Eric was standing to her left, a look of both surprise and hatred on his face. She knew he saw what was happening, just as she felt it as it occurred. She knew he was fighting to ignore her logic, to see the answers flashing in front of their faces. He was trying to live in oblivion, just as she had done for centuries. It had taken Godric's disappearance and possible death for her understand. She wondered what must happen to cause for him to understand as well, if this was not enough. Who had to die for them to finally understand; was Godric not enough for them?

"We kill to survive. What do they kill us for?" Stan's drawl cut in before Luisa was able to respond. He took a step forward, look of fury evident. He pointed a finger at her. "You say we don't _belong here _anymore," he sneered at her own words. "But we've been here just as long as they have, darling. We have just as much right to living as they do."

"I'm quite aware of how long we've been roaming the Earth, Stan," Bren spoke calmly. "I was killing people a thousand years before anyone even thought to change a bastard such as yourself. I'm more aware of the damage done to this world than you will ever understand. Do not speak as though you even fathom to be above me."

He stepped back as she took a single step forward, a look in her eye that had been docile for years. Even Eric was surprised the anger that shown. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning on and moved to stand beside Sookie, who was watching the whole ordeal with a mixture of awe and fright. The humans around her looked much the same.

"They have no issues with killing us, Bren! At least we kill to survive, to live!" Luisa was yelling now, arms flailing as she moved around the room in an angered frenzy. "They kill us out of sport and spite. What is so wonderful about them that one of their lives is more important than the life of one of our own? What about them is worth Godric's life?" She stepped to meet her Maker's gaze fully as she pointed to a man to her left. Bren recognized him as Isabel's lover, Hugo. Luisa pointed a finger, staring at him with disgust before she turned back to her Maker. "_Is his life worth Godric's, sister? If you believe so, then we are all damned." _

Bren looked to Hugo, noting his uncomfortable stance as he stood tall next to his lover. She could see the love he held for Isabel, the lengths he would go to protect her – to keep her alive. The lengths he would go to become one of them, to be with his beloved for all eternity. She also knew that Isabel would never change him, wouldn't damn him to their way of life. Isabel would love him in his old age and until he died, and she would mourn his death. But she would never change him. She loved him too much to cause him such pain. She was like him, doing anything to protect him. Bren turned back to her Child, look sad.

_"We were never anything but to begin with," _she said softly.

Red began to rim Luisa's eyes as she stepped back in shock, as though she had been slapped across the face. She looked to Bren in sadness and shook her head. "You will regret this, Bren. You will look back at this moment and wish you could have changed what has happened here," she said ruefully. She looked at Bren another moment before turning and walking from the room. They all heard a door slam as she left, leaving silence in her wake.

Surprisingly, the first to move towards her was Sookie. As dull chatter resumed in awkwardness, the woman walked across the room tentatively, shocking the age old vampire when she felt a warm hand land gently on her arm. Bren looked to Sookie with a small frown as the woman smiled at her.

"I'd just like to thank you," she said, accent sooting to Bren's ears. "For defending us like that. It's nice to know that Bill isn't the only one that doesn't look at us as food."

Bren felt herself soften and she offered a small smile. "I'm afraid that I am new to the concept myself. But you're welcome, nonetheless." She looked around the room at the talking humans intermingling with the vampires once more, as though nothing she had said made a difference to either party. She frowned and looked to see Sookie was also observing the room in concentration. "Have you been able to pick up on anything useful?"

"No, I'm sorry," Sookie said regretfully. "I've been inside every mind in here and there's nothing about Godric except for them wondering where he is. No one seems to know anything about it except for the fact that he's missing."

"That's alright," Bren replied with a sigh. "I'm sure Mr. Northman has some sort of back up plan."

There was a beat of silence before Sookie spoke. "Actually, I think I might have an idea of my own."

"Oh?" Bren looked at her curiously. "And what might that be?"

The woman took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. "So, we're pretty much positive that the Fellowship people have Godric, right?" Bren nodded her agreement. Sookie took it and continued. "Well, I was thinking that none of you can go and find out where he is very easily, what with your burning skin problems and all that, so I thought that maybe I could go instead."

It took a moment for the proposition to process through her mind. She looked at the young woman in complete surprise. "You would be willing to risk your life for a vampire you have neither met nor have any previous connections to?" she asked incredulously.

Sookie gave her an annoyed look. "Well, he's obviously someone important to you and Eric, otherwise Bill and I wouldn't even be here. You don't seem like a terrible person and while Eric can certainly be a pain in the neck-" she paused and shook her head, ignoring Bren's amused look. "No pun intended, honest. But really, I know Eric tries to be a big bad wolf, but I'm convinced he's really just a big softy inside. If getting this Godric guy makes him less of a dick and keeps you from going insane, then I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you."

Humans never ceased to surprise her. Bren couldn't stop the overly large smile from coming over her face. "You are sure of this?"

"Positive," Sookie replied with a nod. "The only thing is convincing Bill that I'm not walking into a death trap all alone."

"Leave Compton to Eric, I'm sure he'll be more than able to convince your lover to agree with the plan. And you will not go alone, we'll find someone to go with you," Bren promised. She looked around the room and found Eric. "Stay here," she said to Sookie. "I will discuss with Eric and then we'll meet to make a solid plan."

"Okay," Sookie replied, moving to rejoin Bill across the floor. He wrapped an arm around her protectively and she shot him a wonderful smile.

Bren looked away and walked across the room to where Eric stood away from the others, a bored look on his face that she knew was unreal. He had been listening to every word she and Sookie had exchanged and was aware of the crude plan they had created. She laid a cold hand on his arm and nodded a head to the door behind them. He glanced down at her and nodded, turning to follow her as she opened the door into a smaller bedroom. He shut the door behind them, cutting the noise from the other room.

"It is a terrible plan," Eric announced without waiting more than a few seconds. "Even if Stackhouse managed to get into the Fellowship, how do we know she'd actually be able to find Godric? We don't even know where they're holding him."

"It is _not_ a terrible plan. It's the _only_ plan we have at the moment," she replied, moving to pace the room thoughtfully. "If we send her with a man, they could possibly pose as a couple looking to join the church. Newlin would see them as a happy couple with a hatred for vampires, not as fangbangers."

Eric sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "And who would we send with her? Bill would not trust her with anyone but himself, and his presence is out of the question. Is there anyone in the room out there that you have enough trust in to keep the girl alive?"

She didn't hesitate. "Hugo," she said. "Hugo can pose as Sookie's fiancé."

His eyes flashed as he shook his head furiously. "Not Hugo. Any other one but Hugo."

Bren frowned and ceased her pacing, looking at him in confusion. "Why not Hugo? I don't trust any of the others, Eric. He's our only chance at getting Sookie into the Fellowship. It has to be Hugo."

"I got a call this morning from the Magistrate," he said, looking at her seriously. "They found out who the traitor was. The human mole. They know."

It took a few moments for the connection to be made. She looked at him with wide eyes. "What? They think _Hugo_ is the one who gave up Godric? You must be mistaken. Hugo would never do that, not after everything Godric's done for him. Hugo owes him his life."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

It made so little sense but all too much all at the same time. Isabel, the love, the knowledge that he would grow old and die while leaving behind the only woman he loved. Bren shook her head sorrowfully. Poor Hugo. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "His betrayal is all the more reason to utilize him," she said. He frowned at her. "So long as he doesn't realize that we know what he's done, he will be willing to do anything for us. If anything, he will do it for Isabel."

"You wish to exploit their relationship?" his voice sounded surprised. She didn't need to look at him to know the look on his face. She intentionally stared at the wall. He scoffed and relaxed his stance. "I'm not complaining. I have no qualms with doing whatever it takes to bring Godric back."

"I know." She was quieter. The sounds from the other room were growing louder. She looked at him, determination clear. "Do we agree, then?"

He nodded and started for the door. "I'll deal with Compton. You explain what is happening to Isabel and Stan. If all goes well, they can start preparing tonight and leave by first light."

He was out the door and into the next room before she had a chance to speak. She stared at the slowly closing door and silently prayed to whatever God still cared enough about her damned soul to listen that all would be resolved quickly. She needed her own god back. She slipped out the door before to clicked shut and went to find Isabel and Stan. It did not take long for her to spot Stan's large cowboy hat and Isabel's form beside him. Surprisingly, Hugo was not with her. Bren made her way to the pair, easily weaving between the bodies of those around her.

When she reached them, she explained the plan quickly and as quietly as possible. Neither seemed at all thrilled with the plan, but she gave no room for argument. "Isabel, I expect you to give full consent over Hugo during the days he is gone," Bren added, a command that was answered with a short nod. "Good. If you would please find your lover and explain the plan to him, it would be much appreciated. He must prepare as quickly as possible. Eric wishes to have things undergo in the morning."

Isabel took her orders and dismissed herself. Stan did not stay in Bren's presence long, excusing himself within seconds of Isabel's departure. She bothered not. She glimpsed around the room carelessly before exiting unnoticed. Opening the door into the stairwell, she sprinted up the stairs, hair flying. She burst through the door to the roof, sending it banging against the wall.

The cold air met her skin and sent delightful shivers through her. She took a deep breath and walked onto the roof, absorbing the darkness and cold happily. Noises from the streets came towards her, reminding her that the world outside the hotel was continuing on as normal. The world had not stopped the moment Godric had disappeared, no matter if it felt that way to her or not. Walking to the edge of the roof top, she carefully sat down and let her legs hang over the edge. To any walking below her, she might look ready to lean forward and fall to her death. To her, she was living as she always did.

She sat on the roof top until Eric came and found her, informing her that Compton had given his consent and that the plan would proceed at first light. He sat beside her in silence until she had felt the first pricks of sunlight on her skin and they had then returned inside, going their separate ways without goodbyes. She passed Sookie and Hugo on her way back to her room, accompanied by two human chauffeurs employed by the hotel. She nodded to them both and offered a smile to a nervous Sookie before continuing to her room. Falling onto her bed, Bren knew sleep would be terrible to come by that day. It was beginning.

* * *

**Review, as always. ****  
Thank you.  
RJL**


	9. Untitled 1

**So many apologies on the long wait. Life decided to bombard me from all different sides and I fell under pressure. This is one of my least favorite chapters, but I think it's mostly just because I'm ridiculously tired and hate everything at the moment. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, it means so much to me. I appreciate the complements as well as constructive criticism. Keep in mind that while I'm not a review oriented author, they don't hurt. Right now this story has more hits than all of my other ones combined, along with 60 alerts. Pretty sure that with so many readers, a few reviews can't be that hard. :) But really, I'm good with getting readers to begin with. The beginning of this may be confusing. It's meant to be. Keep that in mind. I'm pretty sure that's everything. Enjoy - RJL**

* * *

**Happenstance  
**Chapter IX

You shine no more, you're not here,  
You hear no more, you're not here,  
You sigh no more and you're not here

_Untitled 1 – Sigur Ros_

* * *

There was darkness all around her.

For the last two thousand years, the darkness had been the pillar of her life. It gave her comfort, solace, and above all: safety. Never since her turning had the darkness been a place of fear. It had been where she, and all the others of her kind, thrived. But here, on this night, it was terrifying. She could feel the danger in the air. She was standing in a darkness that held no comfort for her. This was not a night that gave love to her kind, this was not some place that would give her safe passage. Here, the darkness was not loving. Here, it would be her ending. She would die here.

No stars hung in the sky, no moon to give any light. Only darkness.

Some one was following her. Footsteps echoed from every side, giving no hint as to where the man truly was. She walked faster. The footsteps quickened in pace. She was running, breathing heavily without any need to. The air could not fill her lungs fast enough. Her calves burned as her run turned into a sprint for dear life. She could feel them behind her, their breath on her bare neck as she ran. She could not die here, not this way.

She ran, a sob escaping her. A hand reached for hers. Air.

Death.

Not this way, never this way.

Screams erupted around her. Her ears bled from the sound. She looked around her, the faces of those screaming flashing before her as she passed. Every face had a name, a name she had never known. Her blood, she had known. They screamed her name, some in terror and others in joy. Some hated her and others loved her for the way she'd made them feel. All of them watched as she ran through their airy forms and disappeared further into the darkness.

People she had killed. People whose names she would never know. Faces that she would never forget. Screams.

She ran faster.

Her pursuer had little trouble keeping pace behind her. He made no other attempt to catch her, he simply followed behind her. She wanted to scream. The darkness swallowed her. She let out a scream as the ground beneath her suddenly fell away and she was send flying in a downwards spiral. Air rushed past her and her screams were carried away.

Someone called her name from above.

There was only darkness.

"Bren."

Her eyes opened. Godric stared at her from across the room. His face was dead of emotion, his face stained with blood, and his clothes charred from a damning fire. There were no shoes on his feet or wooden amulet hanging from his neck. His runes were blurred by the ash and soot coating his pale skin. She felt herself begin to cry. He only stared.

"Why are you here?" he asked again. His mouth never moved, but she heard the words echoed around the room. She couldn't answer. She only shook her head, blood streaming down her face. He took a step closer to her, the room instantly darkening as his voice boomed. "Why are you here?"

The words escaped her. She fell to her knees, unable to breathe. "I don't know," she forced out, words choked on blood and spit. Her palms hit the cold tile as she fought for air. Nothing made any sense. Why was she here? Air was blocked from her brain. Her tears of blood puddled on the white tile. This was not her place. She wanted to leave.

"I am dead, Bren."

She forced herself off the floor. The words echoed around her. She shook her head, trying to ignore them. She did not belong here. This was not real. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. Her heart constricted. He wasn't dead.

He appeared in front of her, a hand outstretched to her. "Do not come for me. You will find only pain. Do not come."

The words meant nothing. They were a lie. She looked up at him in fear. He was nothing. This was nothing. She would not believe this. Why was she here? His hand remained in midair, waiting for her to grab hold of it. She backed away slowly in horror. His hand dropped. He stepped away.

"Do not come."

His body burst into flames as she cried out. The darkness turned to a blinding light and she soon wondered if she too were being burned alive. His words echoed through her mind. _Do not come. _Her tears were gone and the light swallowed her completely, leaving her final screams unheard. All that was left behind was a small puddle of blood on the white tile floor.

* * *

She stared at the wall. Eight hours had passed since Hugo and Sookie had gone into the Fellowship. Eight hours and no word. Some may consider that no news is good news. This was not the case tonight.

For the first few hours, they had sat together in her small room, silent and without movement. They had waited for the phone on her bedside table to ring, to give them some sort of lead, to give them some thread of hope. For hours, nothing. Eventually, Eric left, saying no words and giving no promise to be back. She had continued to wait, brain numb and body responsive only to the idea that at some point, the phone would ring.

Everything depended on a single phone call. Her life would continue or end with regards to whatever news came with that single call. If Godric was gone, she would have no reason not to walk into the sun the next morning. She would live with him and even for him, but she refused to live without him. Never without him. She was nothing without him.

The pain she would endure in the event of his death was unimaginable to her, even as she waited to hear news of his condition. The pain she felt already would be nothing compared to what it could become. Godric was the center of her existence. He had created her, brought her into a new world, nurtured and loved her for over eighteen centuries. He was everything that kept her connected to a dying world – a world she no longer understood without him. He was the only thing that had kept her alive in the days following Eric's departure all those years ago. He was the reason for everything.

Without him, she was nothing short of dead herself.

She felt the bed sink under his returning weight just as his scent hit her nose. She did not move from her cross legged sitting position and continued to stare at the wall, waiting. He sat for a few moments before the bed shifted and he spread out behind her, eyes to the ceiling. Together, they waited. No words, no actions, only the sick feeling that was ebbing its way into Bren's stomach. The feeling that something terrible had gone wrong.

"Eric?"

Her soft words surprised them both into reality. His head shifted towards her but he said nothing. She stared at the wall, wondering if she honestly wanted an answer to her next question. "What happens if -"

His movement was so sudden and quick that it sent them both tumbling off the bed. She let out an involuntary growl as they hit the carpet with a loud crash. He sat above her, straddling her waist as one of his hands covered her mouth, the other was around her neck. His thumb rested at the base of her throat, only needing the slightest of pressure to puncture it. His expression was livid. "Finish that question and I will have no issue killing you," he said. Fangs bared, he stared at her. "We have discussed this time and time again, Bren. Nothing is going to happen to Godric. Do you understand that? Nothing is going to fucking happen."

One roll of her hips and he would be thrown against the wall. He had no strength against her, nothing to keep her from killing him before he even thought to do the same to her. One movement on her part and he would be nothing but blood decorating the walls. Still, she remained unmoving. She lay on the hotel floor, back pushed into the carpet, as she stared up at him – watching as he fought with himself. They were in the exact same place. Despite everything, they were all that the other had. Bren understood that.

Luisa tried to understand the pain and sorrow that she was feeling, but the only person that would ever understand completely would be him. If Godric died, Eric would be all she had. He would be the only remaining link to her life. To walk out into the sun after Godric would mean leaving behind Eric, the trembling man above her who had the same pain following through her veins as she did. The pain they felt now didn't care about the past they shared or pain they already carried. It was a shared burden between them, to live their lives even in the absence of their Maker.

His voice was quiet as pushed himself off her, rolling to the side to lay beside her. "We are broken, Bren. Godric has broken us."

The words sunk her heart. He understood almost as well as she did. Her hand reached out and found his, holding it tightly. Her hold was returned almost instantly. No words. Together, they waited.

The phone rang.

She couldn't move as he answered the call. It was quick and soon she found herself being hauled off the ground as Eric walked out of the room, his hand holding hers just as tightly as before. He said nothing. She stared.

"What did they say?" she asked as he bypassed the elevator to take the stairs. He held open the door for her and pushed her gently through. He shared a glance with her for only a moment before he looked away.

"Something is wrong."

* * *

Two hours later found the two of them overlooking the Fellowship of the Sun in the company of Isabel. They had been observing the church for nearly twenty minutes, waiting once more for a phone call. Isabel and Eric spoke quietly to one another while Bren focused solely on the building below her. Somewhere inside resided not only a few dozen Fellowship members, but Sookie and Hugo as well. No one had yet to hear from the pair and even Stan was growing anxious.

"I do not understand why we are wasting our time up here when we could be down there killing the bastards who've got Godric," he muttered, looking restlessly down at the men milling outside the church – armed with vampire repelling weapons. "We've got more than enough men to take care of this shit while you go look for your precious little flesh bags."

The comment had earned him a sharp look from Isabel. "Do you honestly think that the smartest thing to do would be to storm the place?" the woman asked angrily, her accent muddling her words ever so slightly. "You are an idiot, Stan. You're going to get us all killed."

"Excuse me for having some sort of plan besides sitting on the mountaintop, observing the godfucking weather," he retorted. "At least I'm coming up with some sort of something to do with our fucking time. I'm growing old here."

"Stan, shut your mouth before I tear it off your face," Eric said calmly, turning to stare at the other vampire for a moment before resuming his watch. "We'll move when the time is right."

Bren watched the men with guns and smiled slightly. How they thought a gun would stop them, she'd never know. With all the technology they had, they never put it to any good use. A basic piece of wood could do more damage than a gun. They would never learn. She looked at Eric to find him staring at her.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly, nodding below them.

She shrugged and felt her smile growing at the thought of Godric being so close. "I think that now is as good a time as any."

Eric smirked and nodded his head, turning to relay orders to both Isabel and Stan. Her stomach loosened. She waited for him to finish before she started down the hillside, knowing that he would be close behind. It was time to find their Maker.

* * *

**Not the best writing I've done, but definitely not the worst.  
****Reviews are great.  
****I'll be seeing you in the near future.  
****RJL**


	10. Last Tide

**No excuses as to why I disappeared, just be happy that I have returned. I give no promises as to when another update will arrive, but I do know that there will be one. Please keep in mind the following stats when you decide whether or not to review: 11K hits, 87 alerts, 44 favs, and 64 reviews. Really, reviews are great and I love to hear your feedback, ideas, and suggestions. Please utilize reviews to do any of those or anything else, so long as you are polite and at least have good intentions. Also: from here on out the story will be fairly AU and won't follow the show/books entirely. Mostly because I'm too lazy to go back through and watch every episode as I write, and also because it better serves the purpose of the story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and that I still have a fair number of readers out there. Until next time, RJL.**

* * *

**Happenstance  
**Chapter X

I kept quiet so you'd think my heart was tough  
I never showed you if I loved you enough  
The dreams I had yeah I kept but I wouldn't dare  
Share with you for fear of things still living in me

_Last Tide - Sun Kil Moon_

* * *

Some moments will live on forever, and you will never forget a single second during one particular day. They are the moments that enlightened, terrify, and revive you. A day where you live in pure bliss or find yourself standing on the edge of a cliff. Days where there is no certainly you will make it through alive, but no matter the outcome, it will be a day that will never be forgotten. Everyone has a day like that. And no one ever forgets the feelings that go along with it.

For Bren, there had been a number of those days that she experienced during her human life. The day her youngest sister was born, the day her father died, the day that Godric came to release her and granted her an everlasting life. These were moments caught in time that no matter her age, she would always remember. There was no question that she would remember. And while the memories were not always ones that brought happy feelings to her heart, they always brought a sense of comfort. Even while the rest of the world came and went, and she stayed the same, she would always have the memories of the past she had once lived.

She would always have the memories to get her through the moments where she doubted everything and the fear she felt was unconquerable. In the silence of her own mind, where she could ignore the world around her, she would have the memories to turn to for solace. Memories were something that no one could take away or tamper with, not with her status of vampire to protect her. Glamoring would do nothing to her brain, there were no impulses to manipulate, not brain waves to intercept. Her memories were her own, and only hers to treasure.

Still, some moments are best left to be forgotten. As Bren knelt, a silver chain wrapped around her neck, and stake pressed to the soft place at the base of her skull, she dearly wished to forget everything that had transpired – if only to save her from embarrassment. A child could have sensed a trap more quickly than she had, how could she have been so irresponsible? She knew about the traitor, knew that Hugo had betrayed them, knew that something would go wrong and that more people would be harmed in the process. Yet, she did nothing and allowed for things to progress out of her control and down a dangerous path.

Over a thousand years old, and still no sense. She truly was a child. Godric would be disappointed in her, she knew that for certain. She only hoped he had been able to escape before the Fellowship had gotten a grasp on the situation. If nothing else, that would be worth her current humiliation. At least he would then be safe from the danger they were being face with.

Sookie was yelling threats to Steve Newlin and the dozen or so other men that filled the church. The small southern belle held nothing back as she cursed the men to a damned death and made feeble attempts to escape her captors. Bren had to admire the woman's bravery, though wished Sookie would learn to hold her tongue rather than continue to irritate her captors to the point where they would take further action against any of them. There had already been enough blood spilled on both sides without the telepath's help.

"I would shut your pretty little mouth if I were you, vampire whore," warned one of the men holding Sookie as he gave her a threatening shake. She stumbled but kept on her feet, holding nothing back with her scalding glare. "You aren't exactly on the winning side, bitch."

Sookie sneered at the man and stomped on his foot sharply with her heel, smirking when he grimaced. "And I would watch your filthy mouth if I were you, asshole. That's no way to talk to a lady," she said seriously. The man holding her only glared and chose to ignore her. "Surely your mother raised you to be polite and courteous to all women? What would your mother say if she saw you acting like a brute and abusing two women in the house of God? Do you really think she'd approve of that? I don't think she would."

Her voice was so innocent that even Bren felt herself smirking. She could see Eric doing the same from his place on the altar. His arms were being held down with chains of silver, and she knew that his skin was burning the same as hers. With the chains restraining them both, she few ideas on how to save them from their current predicament. Sookie, while efficient at distracting their captors, was good for little more. Eric was of no help, and neither was Bren. Silver was a bitch.

"Well, I for one am getting quite tired of all this waiting!" Steve Newlin clapped his hands as he grinned from his place on the altar beside Eric. His grin was toxic, and he feinted pity for Eric has he pointed to the silver laying across the Viking's body. "Isn't it funny that just a teeny tiny bit of silver and you end up where you are? Who would have thought that all it took to restrain the undead spawn of Satan was a little bit of purity, hm?" Steve leaned over and smirked at Eric, rearranging the silver on his wrists and causing the huge man to hiss in pain. "It shows you the work of God, right here! Working right here in this very church." He sighed and looked almost lovingly at the cross hanging above the altar before turning his smile to the followers standing amongst the pews. "God works in truly mysterious ways, my friends. He truly does."

It had been over 1600 years since she had conquered her thirst for blood and the uncontrollable need to kill, and yet Bren knew that there was nothing that would please her more than to feel the life drain from Steve Newlin as she drank from him until his body was a soul's vessel no longer. There was no question that Eric agreed with her or that Sookie didn't wish there was something she could do to erase the vile man from the face of the planet.

"What do you want us to do with these two, sir?" The man holding Sookie gestured the two women captives, a disgusted look on his face. "Are we going to burn ourselves some witches?"

The cheers and calls of agreement from the other men chilled Bren, and it was clear that Sookie's calm exterior was quickly giving way to fear. Rolling her wrists, she clenched her jaw at the burning pain from the silver and winced as the stake on her neck was pressed dangerously close. She stopped squirming but tried to slowly lean forward to relieve the stake's pressure from her neck. This was getting too real, too dangerous. Something needed to happen before anyone was burned, staked, or ripped to pieces.

Even as the thoughts ran through her mind, the doors leading into the church behind them were thrown open and Stan walked in, followed closely by his men. In the moments that it took the Fellowship to comprehend what was happening, every man in the room with the exception of Newlin found themselves caught in the grasp of a vampire. The stake was gone from Bren's neck as one of the vampire's pulled her captor away by his shirt collar, ignoring the yells that came from the full grown man as he started to beg for his life.

Letting the silver chains fall to the group, Bren pushed herself off her knees and looked at the scene unfolding around her. Newlin stood in shock from his vantage point on the altar, each of his men now held captive as the vampires waited for Stan to give them further instructions. Sookie was in the arms of Bill, who had arrived moments after Stan, and Isabel was standing to the right of the sheriff, watching just as Bren was. Another vampire went and helped free Eric from his bonds, and he stood silently on the other side of Sookie. His stance reeked of dominance and he stood slightly in front of her protectively, ignoring the presence of Bill Compton entirely.

Averting her eyes from the scene, Bren focused on Steve Newlin, who stood in shock as he tried to understand everything that was happening. There was a gun in his hand, but it was pointed at no one in particular, aimed uselessly at the back wall.

"Newlin, you have become a rat infestation that, tonight, we have decided to exterminate," Stan said as he walked up the center aisle, his boots clicking on the tile floor. Steve looked at him in terror as Stan continued towards him, a sinister look on his face. The gun in Newlin's hand shook. "We are going to exterminate you the same way we did you good ol' ma and pa. We're going to rid the world of the Newlin family, and by Hell, we'll make it a right better place by doing so." Stan came to a stop in front of the now enraged pastor as Steve understood the implications of what was being said. "You better make peace with your god, boy. You'll be meeting him real soon, I can promise you that."

Silence rang throughout the church as everyone waited. And then, as if someone had pushed the play button in an action movie, everyone moved at once. Newlin swung his gun and aimed at Sookie, letting shots ring out just as Stan leaped at the pastor's throat. A few other men fired shots at their captive vampires, but did little damage. Some turned to flee, others simply gave themselves and surrendered. Stan had Newlin in a choke hold, but no one paid them much attention.

Bren didn't move from her spot, but felt her body jolt as a stray bullet landed in her shoulder. In a few seconds it worked it's way out of her skin and dropped to the floor with a clank. It almost disappointed her how unprepared the Fellowship appeared. They didn't even use silver bullets. How did they expect to win a war when they didn't even have any means to kill their enemy? If they wanted any change to happen in the world, if they truly wished to rid the world of vampires and return the world back to its former purity, the least they could do was learn how to properly kill one.

As she moved to join Sookie and the others, she felt two arms grab her as a second man thrust a stake to her neck. A pulse of fear ran through her as she waited to burst into a pile of blood mixed with bones and stretched muscles. A flash of white ran across her vision as the fear passed, and she was forced to the front of the church. She did not struggle or resist the men that held her. In fact, she was impressed, though only just, by the two men and their courage. She could feel every vampires' eyes locked on her and the men that held her, calculating the risk of rescuing her to the probability of one of them staking her in the process. No one moved.

"Everyone back away, or I swear to God I'll kill this bitch right now," one of the men yelled, his voice cracking in fear but remaining relatively strong. The stake at her neck pressed closer when no one moved, and the fear almost returned. She smashed it quickly, and leaned back to avoid the stake's tip. Stan released a bloody Newlin, who then sported a broken nose and gash over his left eye.

"And what do you plan to do after that, human?" Eric asked, mocking tone apparent. He had left his position beside Sookie to stand in front of the altar, staring into the eyes of Bren's captors. The fury was apparent in his features. Bren could feel the man holding her trembling in fear. "Even if you do kill her, the rest of us will be on you before you even have a chance to blink. Her death would be for nothing and would only speed up the coming of your own. Do you really want to do that? I promise that if you kill her, your death will not be nearly so quick and painless."

Eric took a step closer, and the man holding Bren took a step back, stake pressing even closer. He stepped up the first step leading up to the altar, with the look of a predator stalking his prey. Behind him, Stan and Isabel watched on, none of the other Fellowship members doing anything to help their comrades. Newlin was laying on the ground, moaning and clutching his broken nose. Eric continued stalking closer until he stood only a few feet in front of Bren and the men who held her. He outstretched his hand and almost instantly Bren was released and pushed forward hazardously. In a blur, Eric was behind her and had snapped the poor man's neck, turning back to face her before the body had even dropped to the ground.

No words were exchanged as Eric gently took hold of her upper arm and led her to Sookie and Bill, who only watched – Sookie in awe, and Bill with a frown. Continuing towards the door, Eric called to the others. "It is time to leave," he said, still pulling Bren along as they walked through the church, ignoring the frightened looks of those who had survived the night, and the vampires that had come to their rescue. "Leave them," he instructed, when a few of the vampires looked questionably at the remaining humans, mainly at the cowering Steve Newlin, who had yet to get off the ground and still clutched his bloody nose. "Leave him," Eric said again, his tone leaving no room for disobedience.

"You want us to leave this little piece of shit alive so he can just turn around to kill more of our kind?" Stan's voice called out, as he had yet to move. His Texan drawl was disbelieving and rebellious, and caused Bren to stop. Eric continued to walk, but stopped to stare at her, waiting. "The mouth breather doesn't deserve the right to live. He kills our kind! He needs to put down, like a rabid dog. Why not just stop the infection at the source?"

In two seconds, Stan found himself flat on his back staring at the church's ceiling, his neck exposed, and Bren straddling his waist. Her hand held his head to the side and her fangs were exposed as she growled at him. "It would be best if you learned to hold your tongue, Stan," she said quietly. The larger vampire tried to struggle out of her grip, but she easily had seven hundred years on him, and his strength was nothing compared to hers. "Newlin lives, do you understand? We will not sink ourselves to his level of filth. We will rise above their expectations and prove ourselves to be worthy of this world just as much as the humans. We will not kill the spokesperson of those who hold doubt and fear for us, we will chose to better ourselves and learn from what has happened here tonight. Steve Newlin lives, _do you understand_?"

Stan stared up at her for a few seconds before he nodded and Bren flew off him, rejoining Eric in moments. He only nodded to Isabel but said nothing more. Bren did not look back as they exited the church. She was tired. She wanted nothing more than to return to the nest, wash away the grime from the day, and fall into her bed to sleep away the next few days. She had the feeling that Eric felt the same.

They walked in silence out of the church and into the night. It was only two or three in the morning, which gave them more than enough time to fly back to the nest. No words were exchanged, and none were needed. Eric held open the front door of her home, a gesture that she thanked him for quietly. He nodded in response, face tired and eyes dull. She could only imagine how she looked, not that any of it made a difference. A shower would solve everything. But first, there was something she had to do.

Dropping her coat in the front closet, she walked slowly, almost frightened that she would be wrong and he wouldn't really be waiting for them like she hoped. But, as she rounded the corner and stepped into the living room, all her doubt disappeared along with all her fear. In that moment, everything disappeared.

And waiting for them in the living room, as she had felt he would be, was Godric. He stood, face drained but eyes holding a pride that words would never be able to convey. He looked as she remembered, and it was hard for her to imagine him ever being gone. He belonged in the room, with her, and with Eric. This was where they were supposed to be. They were foolish to ever think differently.

Upon seeing his Children, Godric spread his arms open wide and Bren felt tears coming to her eyes. She did not stop herself from allowing her Maker to wrap is arms around her, holding her in an embrace and reminded her of childhood when her father would gather her in his arms just before he put both her and her youngest sister to sleep every night. In the absence of her father, there had been Godric. And in the absence of Godric, she had had nothing. There had been an emptiness to her heart that nothing could have ever filled if Godric had never been returned to her.

In his arms, she felt whole. She was more at peace than she could ever hope or imagine to be again.

* * *

**Reviews are wonderful.  
Hope you enjoyed.  
Until next time, RJL **


End file.
